


(hiatus) Can You Save My Soul (And Make Me Whole)

by byullight



Category: The Rampage from Exile Tribe (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27772354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byullight/pseuds/byullight
Summary: Fourth year.Hokuto could not wait to have another fun year in Hogwarts along with his friends. But a sudden change of behaviour of a certain person was making him confused and left him wondering.. hoping for something. Hokuto struggled to come to term with his own feelings, feelings that he had buried deep inside him long time ago.He wished he knew what he was getting himself into when he approached that person, four years ago.
Relationships: Kawamura Kazuma/Yoshino Hokuto
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

“Hoku, if you don’t stop staring, he’ll notice,” said Shogo, a Fourth year Hufflepuff while hiding a smirk behind his hands.

Hokuto, who has indeed spent the previous 15 minutes staring at a certain person jolted in surprise. His object of interest is walking across the library hallways, with a massive entourage of female students trailing behind him. Hokuto absently turns his head towards his best friend, the red and yellow scarf that hinted on his designated house is nicely complimented by his red locks that framed his small face. There is a faint pink color dusting over his cheeks, a proof that the boy feels embarrassed by getting caught in action. He scoffs, turning his head to the side as a futile attempt to hide his face even though his red ears are visible for the world to see.

With an annoyed expression on his face, the Gryffindor student replies, “Who does he think he is, walking in the hallways with his flock of fans? Does he think he is some kind of superstar? Just because he started to become a prefect this year, it doesn’t mean he could do anything he wants. They are disrupting other people who are trying to study here!”

Shogo just sighs, resigned to the fact that he already listened to the same complaints a hundred times already. He chances a look outside the windows beside him, watching the fallen leaves cover their school’s terrain, colouring everything in red and yellow. They just returned to Hogwarts two weeks ago, starting a new journey as a fourth year student in Hogwarts. Truthfully, he does not understand why his best friend is so keen on going to the library this early. Their final examination will be held in several months, and it is not like their teachers are going to give them a surprise quiz out of nowhere. Even their Ravenclaw friends, Kenta and Likiya who are in the fifth year and sixth year respectively, do not go to the library at this time of the year. But the red-haired boy is determined, even going so far as to drag his lazy ass out of the bed during the weekend for their daily trip to the library. 

It is not like they get much studying done there. Sometimes, they only stay for about an hour or two before any of them get hungry, and conclude their study session immediately to search for some food before the designated eating time. Curiously enough, Hokuto sometimes would leave his friend alone at their table, disappearing to god knows where for a few minutes only to come back later with a flustered expression on his face. The red-haired boy would ignore his friend’s inquiry of his whereabouts, and just continue studying with a suspiciously high level of concentration. 

There were one or two instances where the two of them usually would stumble upon, quote, Hokuto’s most hated person in the world, unquote, at the library. And today is one of those days. The black-haired student fortunately does not know that he is currently at the receiving end of Hokuto’s wrath, blissfully walking in the library and unaware of the Gryffindor student's boring holes at his back. There is a small group of female students walking a few feet behind him, trying to stay quiet but ultimately failing, what’s with their constant chitter chatter and loud whispering.

“That’s it! Shogo, let’s go. I can’t continue studying with all these noises,” said the red-haired boy, closing his Astronomy textbook with a smack. He is still donning an annoyed expression on his face, throwing a last look at the female students who are still loitering in the library even when the dark-haired student has left already. 

If looks could kill, Shogo is certain his friend is commiting a massive murder right now. He just nodded, already giving up all pretense of understanding the content of the page he was staring at for the last half an hour. Furthermore, there is only about 15 minutes until dinner time, and his stomach has been making ugly grumbling noises for a while now. Packing his Herbology textbook, empty parchment papers and quills into his backpack, he follows his best friend out while adjusting the yellow and black scarf around his neck.

It is the year of 2020 and so many things have changed in the hidden world of magic especially in the renowned Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. First of all, gifted and talented children of magicians, witches and humans alike are enrolled into the school at the tender age of 11 to 12 years old as per usual. Then, they are sorted into their designated houses during the Sorting Ceremony, with the old Sorting Hat to pass the verdict. Each house has its own dormitory and common area, with their entrances are guarded with a specific password. The Great Hall also had the tables and chairs all lined up in accordance to the different houses.

So what exactly, you may ask, has changed?

In light of the disputes that are commonly seen in between the students from the different houses, the school has implemented a new rule: the students are obligated to dine in accordance to their houses **only** during special occasions such as the Great Feast, the Sorting Ceremony, the Yule Ball, and likewise. For any normal day, the students are allowed to have their meal at the hall or at the Garden together with their friends from other houses. This is to allow better interaction and mingling between the students and to resolve any other hidden conflicts. Due to this, the Great Hall is only commonly used by the younger students Year 3 and below as they may have not interacted much with their friends from the other houses. Other than that, a new common area is built near the North Wing, a place where the older students can have their group study before returning back to their respective dormitories. The curfew time for the first two years is right after dinner, where the students will be guided back to their dormitory by the older prefect. The third and fourth year students have the curfew time of 9pm, while fifth year and above can be at the common area up until 10pm. 

Today is a Sunday, which means their dinner is likely to be served with lots of delicious meals to prepare the students for the start of a new week tomorrow. They walk at a leisure pace, already familiarizing themselves with all the tricks and shortcuts to get to where their usual table is waiting, right at the secluded corner of the garden. Shogo had found it during his third year, and has been using it with the rest of his friends since then. A figure is seen sitting at the table, his back is towards the two friends. His brown hair is combed to the side, his collar is adorned with a green and silver tie. A chubby orange cat is lying on his lap, purring in content.

“Yo, Icchan! How long have you been waiting here?” shouted Hokuto with a grin, leaping to the table with a newfound enthusiasm. His eyes are glinting with mischief, a common sight whenever the boy sees Mars, the orange cat. 

Itsuki just sighs, snuggling his cat closer to him to avoid any other jump scare from his friend. The first time Hokuto saw Mars in their first year, he had screamed quite loudly, causing the poor cat to jump and hissed angrily towards the red-haired boy. After four year of friendship, the cat as well as him seemed to have developed an immunity towards Hokuto’s voice, both of them no longer being caught by surprise by him.

“Since quite a while now. I know you guys would be late, so I bring Mars out with me to keep me company,” replied the Slytherin, stroking the fur above his cat’s head. The orange cat seems to be in pure bliss, judging by the way it closes its eyes instantaneously.

Shogo put his backpack on the white garden chair while eagerly looking at his surroundings. “Will the others be joining us this evening?” He looks at the clock tower in the middle of the garden, the minutes hand pointing at the number 11.

_“Engorgio.”_

Another new rule that is implemented in the school is that third year students and above are allowed to practise their magic in the school compound. Transfiguration, Charm, and Healing spells are allowed as long as the caster does not cast the spells with the intention to harm the others. Protective and surveillance charms had been casted by the professors all over the school compound to regulate students’ activity and to protect them against dark magic incantations. Of course, jinx, hex and curses are strictly not allowed, however the students sometimes did cast one or two harmless jinx to their friends, which usually required the intervention of the prefects to reverse the spell or heal them, before sending the affected student to the infirmary.

Following the incantation, the table immediately enlarges, its size now can easily accommodate up to 6 people at once. Hokuto turns around, his face breaking into a wide smile. “Kenta!”

A male student, wearing a blue and bronze tie one arrives at the table. Kenta is one year their senior, and one of their closest friends as well. Since the start of the new semester, it is hard for the trio to meet up with the older boy as he is going to take the O.W.L. exam this year. 

“I already arrived at the garden 30 minutes ago. However, knowing Hokuto here likes to have his daily trip to the library before dinner and is likely to arrive late, I decided to hang out with Rui, Kaisei and Takkun at the table there,” he points at another table close to them. Kenta looks at the said Gryffindor student, his expression turns into a teasing one. “Did you manage to see your crush there, Hoku?”

Hokuto sputters, his Bambi eyes turning wide in surprise. His two best friends just laugh hearing the remark, understanding the inside joke at once. Everyone in their group loves to tease Hokuto, even when the boy has denied the fact every single time. Before he has a chance to defend himself, Shogo beats him to it when he sees a certain pair of Slytherin students walking near them.

“Makoto! Kazuma! Come and join us for dinner!” the friendly Hufflepuff student loudly exclaims.

 _‘Oh god, just walk away, don’t turn around, don't turn ar--,’_ Hokuto despairs. He reaches for his wand, having half a mind to cast a Muffliato charm at the unsuspecting pair so that they will not be able to hear Shogo’s invitation. However, a pointed look from Itsuki stops him from doing so.

Kazuma, a fourth year Slytherin student, prefect, and also the subject of Hokuto’s hatred and wrath (and also his crush, as proclaimed by the rest of friends) turns around, evidently manages to hear Shogo’s voice even from a distance (unsurprisingly, as even with that small body built, the Hufflepuff is blessed with a loud, enthusiastic voice that grabs everyone’s attention). He walks to their table with a small smile decorating his face, his jet black hair falling down on his forehead. Makoto, or affectionately called as Makocchan by his close friends, is another Slytherin student who is currently in his third year. The younger boy follows closely behind Kauma, his light blonde hair softly blowing in the winds. The pair make quite a sight to behold, the contrast of their hair color only making them stand out more than usual. 

Hokuto looks towards Itsuki, who is suspiciously looking at the newcomer with his mouth wide open. He wants to laugh, he really does, but he remains quiet so that he can use this for blackmail later. Before his friend further makes a fool of himself, the Gryffindor delivers a smack at his head, promptly shutting his friend’s mouth close. 

“Itsuki, can I sit beside you?” a soft voice rings, immediately stopping the hidden fight between Hokuto and Itsuki. It seems that having the younger Slytherin being near to him has made his brain short-circuited, as Itsuki fails to give a proper reply. Hokuto rolls his eyes, giving his permission instead on his friend’s behalf. The red-haired boy makes a point not to look elsewhere, as a certain black-haired boy has taken a seat directly facing him. Sue him, but he is sure that the smile on Kazuma’s face has gotten bigger the longer the Slytherin stares at him.

 _‘Why is he sitting in front of me? Stop staring at me, you creep,'_ Hokuto’s internal monologue continues. He tries to focus on the meal that is starting to appear on the table, as the clock at the garden indicates 6 pm. Kenta excuses himself, as he already promised to eat with Rui and the others earlier that day. Dinner that day consists of roasted chicken with salad, mashed potatoes, and black pepper gravy, with fresh strawberries and cream to be served later for dessert. Before Hokuto manages to take a bite from the heavenly dish, another student arrives at the table, his scarlet and gold tie is skewed around his neck while his reddish orange hair appears a bit wet.

“Sorry I’m late! Quidditch practice ends late just now and I just finished taking a bath!” said Shohei, fourth year Gryffindor exclaims loudly. With the arrival of the so-called mood maker of the group, the table turns lively at once. Shohei, who just comes back from the Quidditch practice, shares some of the most interesting stories of the try-outs session that evening. His stories may seem far-fetched sometimes or his actions a tad exaggerated, but they love the muggle-born student all the same.

“With that being said, I can proudly declare that we, the Gryffindors will reclaim our throne in this year’s Quidditch game! Just a little warning to you, Slytherins!!” says the orange-haired boy with a flourish, finally manages to finish his dinner at once while the others are already halfway of finishing their strawberries. His sudden proclamation causes several pairs of eyes at the table to be glinting in determination.

“Oh really, Shohei? I can’t wait to see you try,” replies Kazuma, leaning forward with a smirk on his face. 

“It’s gonna be a battle of chasers then, between us both and him. Let’s leave him in the dust, Kazuma,” taunts Itsuki, ending his statement with a laugh when he reminisces last year’s game where the two of them had a blast with the Gryffindor in the field.

“Ugh, enough with the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalries. This year, I would like to see all of you try to catch up with me in the field. There are some badass moves I’ve been practicing during the holidays to help me catch the Golden Snitch better,” adds Shogo, being the proud seeker of the Hufflepuff house. “Right, Hoku? Makoto?”

Makoto smiles, acknowledging the older man while Hokuto just nodded. “It’s going to be hard to beat Shogo in the air though, as it always takes everything I have just to be on the same speed as him.”

The three of them are the seekers for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin respectively. Hokuto has always admired his best friend’s speed and agility during the games. Shogo’s small body built and athletic skills are much, much superior to him. Even when the Gryffindor is using the newest model of the broomstick, it is not easy to beat Shogo. The Hufflepuff always looks like he is whizzing through the air, never staying in one place long enough. 

In comparison, Makoto is the type of opponent who you never expected to sneak up behind you. With his tall stature as compared to him and Shogo, you will expect him to lag behind but it is not the case for him. If Hokuto has to choose two words to describe the younger boy during the game, it will be stealthy and deadly. Whenever he thinks that he is getting the upper hand, the next second he will find the Slytherin creeping up behind him silently. Makoto’s sheer concentration in the games is enough to pressure their opponent into giving up the chase.

As compared to the two, Hokuto feels so.. ordinary. He does not have all those skills possessed by the other two, in fact he still does not understand the reason their coach chooses him as the seeker for their team since his second year. The only thing he has more than them is experience, which does not help much.

“You’ll be fine, Hoku. You always looked as if you love flying more than anyone else in the field,” a voice jolted the Gryffindor out of his thought. He turns in disbelief. Kazuma is looking at him, a small smile decorating his face with his eyes soft.

A silence passes over the table, the other five students look a bit stunned by the statement from the Slytherin. Shogo and Shohei snickers, breaking the awkward moment immediately while Itsuki moves his eyebrows up and down teasingly beside Hokuto. Feeling the warmth that threatens to spread over his face, Hokuto immediately excuses himself from the table, hastily wiping his mouth using a handkerchief with his favourite dessert of strawberries and cream long forgotten.

*

If you asked him, why did he hate Kazuma so much? Hokuto probably could not answer it right away. Even if you gave him time, the Gryffindor still could not think of a reason plausible enough to justify his action.

Looking back, it probably started in their first year. Hokuto, who was only 11 years old at that time was eager to start his new life in Hogwarts. Being the youngest child in his family, he had heard of lots of interesting tales of Hogwarts from his older brother growing up. Being a pureblood means the red-haired child was always surrounded with magic and enchantments in his childhood.

When the official letter of Hogwarts finally arrived on his 10th birthday, he was over the moon. His parents had brought him to Diagon Alley to buy a new wand, a new owl companion, along with a brand new set of clothes and textbooks. His brother bought him _The_ _Tempest_ , the latest model of broomstick in the market even though first years are not expected to make the team, unless you are the legendary Harry Potter.

He sat with Shogo on the train, his childhood friend who was also admitted into the school. As their parents were acquaintances with each other, it was expected for their children to be friends as well. His first day was going on so well, and the first years were all patiently waiting for their turn to ride on the boat at the lake when he saw a certain boy.

The boy, who was standing alone in the corner amongst the group of first years, really stood out in Hokuto’s eyes. His hair was as dark as the night sky, with his bangs slightly covering his eyes. As compared to the other first years who were eager and filled the area with their incessant chattering (Hokuto included), the boy remained silent, watching his peer with a slight indifference. Hokuto was both intrigued and curious, and so he decided to approach him.

 _‘Kazuma,’_ the red haired boy repeated the name given to him during the introduction. Surprisingly, the black haired boy was approachable enough, replying to almost all of Hokuto’s questions and adding some anecdotes about Hogwarts on his own. They got on the same boat, talking and sharing about Hogwarts (well, Hokuto did most of the talking, while his new friend mainly listened to him). At the end of the trip, he was certain that he had made a new friend.

“Hey Kazuma, wouldn’t it be cool if we turned out to be in the same house? It’s going to be fun!!” exclaimed the red-haired boy, excited at the prospect of spending more time with his new friend. 

However, his enthusiasm was not shared with the said boy. In fact, Kazuma looked positively downfallen, being saddened by something unknown to Hokuto. Minutes before he was called by the principal for the Sorting Ceremony, he grabbed the red-haired boy’s hands tight, and said, “Thank you, Hokuto.” Kazuma was sorted into Slytherin after that, while Hokuto was allocated into Gryffindor, the same as his mother.

Hokuto would feel devastated by the outcome, but he was consoled by the fact that they were now allowed to be with students from other houses during meal time. He had made some new friends from Gryffindor, one of them was Shohei, a very friendly Muggle-born with a boisterous laugh that rang out loud in the Great Hall. He got to know Alan and Yuta, who was in second and third year respectively. Even Shogo did not manage to be in the same house as him, being sorted into Hufflepuff. He did not worry as much, as he was sure that there would be other opportunities to be with the Slytherin boy later.

He was wrong.

It was true that earlier that year, he had spent most of his time being with his Gryffindor friends. The reason was mainly because of how practical it was, as he did not remember the whole layout of buildings in the school yet. It was also easier for him to go to classrooms during the day and return to the dormitory later at night. At least he still had the same schedule with Shogo and Kazuma, allowing him to see them during class. Shogo made him promise to have a meal together with him one of those days, to which the red-haired boy agreed. The same thing could not be said for his Slytherin friend, as Kazuma seemed to distance himself from Hokuto during lessons. He tried to approach the dark-haired boy, only to be brushed off or avoided as subtly as he could. It hurt the Gryffindor’s feelings immensely and left him wondering whether he did anything that offended the other boy. 

Too lost in his own feelings, Hokuto did not notice that the Slytherin student had spent most of his time alone in the class, with no other person other than him to approach the dark-haired boy.

About three months into the first year, Hokuto had gotten accustomed to his new life quite well. He knew how to get to his classrooms without getting lost in the way, and even managed to find a few shortcuts on his own. His favourite subject at that time was Astronomy, held all the way up to the highest level of the Astronomy Tower at midnight. He was excited to learn some new and easy spells in his Charms class, and to identify all the ingredients needed to make very simple Cure for Boils or Forgetfulness potions. Being in a History of Magic class never failed to make him fall asleep, and the only thing in the world he deemed that could make Shohei turn quiet for once (as the orange-haired boy too was not able to stay awake until the end of the class, even with all his endless energy and enthusiasm). Learning the theory of jinx, hex, and curses made him scared out of his wits, while a trip to the greenhouses for Herbology was always a welcome change of scenery. Flying lesson was another one of his favourites, being able to stay in the air for as long as he wanted. All in all, Hokuto felt very content with everything. 

Well, almost everything.

He had given up in trying to approach Kazuma after the first two months, as he could take only so much rejection from the other boy. However, he was glad to see that the Slytherin had made a new friend as well, a first year Slytherin who happened to be Shohei’s childhood friend, Itsuki. _‘At least he had someone by his side this time,’_ the red-haired boy had thought. He was not spiteful, although he did rather feel a bit regretful for the lost chance of a friendship.

He first had a meal together with Shogo one Sunday evening, and decided to discuss their Potions class on the next day. They were joined by Shohei, who brought his parchment and Defence against the Dark Art textbook together with him. The lively boy seemed to forget about his assignment on ‘Cure of the Werewolf Bites’ which was due on the next day as well. The three seemed to have gotten lots of curious looks, as they were the only first years who eat together without following their assigned houses. It was not until Itsuki joined them that their table became the receiving end of full-frontal stares from many others, especially their peers from the First Year. After all, it was quite rare to see two Gryffindor, one Hufflepuff and one Slytherin student sitting together three months after school started.

For Hokuto though, he had a hard time trying to contain himself. When he saw Itsuki, the first thing he thought was whether or not a certain black-haired boy would be joining them. When there was no sign of him after a while, he quelled down his disappointment and instead was replaced with curiosity. _Where is he? Is he alone right now?_ He wanted to ask the brown-haired Slytherin, but they just got to know each other and he did not want to come across as rude or intrusive. However, Itsuki somehow seemed to understand his concern, making some off-handed comments that his friend was likely alone at that time at somewhere only he knew, possibly skipping his meal as well. It turned out that this was a common occurrence for Kazuma, preferring to spend his break time alone until Itsuki befriended him. 

It was not until the middle of the year when Hokuto found out that the dark-haired boy was being bullied by some of his peers and his seniors, because of his status being a Muggle-born and being assigned into the Slytherin house.

“Huh? Aren’t we currently in the 20th century? I thought that most of us, if not all, do not give a damn whether that person is Muggle-born, half-blood or even pure blood. The only thing that matters is our skills and level of Magic. We don’t even care much about our assigned houses nowadays,” said Hokuto, his voice rising up with every word. He was a pure-blood, through and through, but he never asked someone of their blood status. 

“Yes, that’s right, Hoku-chan. But it was hard for some to get rid of their own prejudice and old-school thinking, especially when it was drilled into their mindset by their parents or their environment. Even until now the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts were facing several criticisms for getting rid of the houses’ segregation as they felt like the students in certain houses should behave as such and such,” replied Kenta, a second year Ravenclaw at that time, trying to calm the younger boy down.

“In Slytherin, the customs and that old-mindset ran deep in these students. If you are observable enough, you will notice that most of the Slytherins still choose to be with their own rather than mingling with other houses. They also thought that someone who is a muggle-born does not deserve to be in Slytherin. In our dormitory, it is much worse. Some of the seniors did cast jinxes at Kazuma or his belongings. They were harmless, yes, but still mean enough,” added Itsuki.

“We also have some seniors like that in Hufflepuff, but they were never brave enough to cast jinxes on other students,” said Shogo, with Rui, a nd year Hufflepuff and Kenta’s friend, confirming his statement. Kenta, Shohei and even Hokuto himself noticed their classmates and seniors from their respective houses who shared the sentiments. Itsuki reassured the rest of them that he would stay by the dark-haired boy’s side, to which Hokuto felt grateful.

Hokuto ended up finishing his first year with the trio, while they were occasionally joined by the two Second year seniors, along with another three second year students Zin (Gryffindor), Riku (Hufflepuff), Yamasho (Slytherin); and Likiya, a third year Ravenclaw. There were some students who continued to show animosity towards Hokuto and his friends, however those people mostly kept their old-fashioned ideals to themselves and never attempted to hurt him or the others.

His second year took a change with the arrival of new students. His circle of friends continue to get bigger, with the arrival of the first years Kaisei (Gryffindor), Takahide (Ravenclaw), Ryu (Hufflepuff) and Takuma (Ravenclaw). He was surprised to see Kazuma at the Great Hall one day, with a first year tagging along behind him. Itsuki later revealed that the boy’s name was Makoto, and it seemed like the two was childhood friends. Kazuma became friendlier and more approachable with the appearance of Makoto, and he even managed to joke around with Shohei during their Potions’ class or hang out with Itsuki. 

The rest of the second and third year found Hokuto and Kazuma tiptoeing around each other, being in the same circle of friends but they themselves were not someone you can considered close. There were some instances that left Hokuto wondering and being hopeful, but he later disregard his own feelings in regards to the dark-haired boy.

*

The sound of bell ringing in the middle of the night jolts the Gryfindor out of his trip down the memory lane. He just realizes he has stayed out past the curfew, as it is already 10pm and he is still at the top of the Astronomy Tower. The tower is supposed to be restricted for the students unless it is for class purposes. But Hokuto has always loved being there since his first year, the view of the magnificent night sky in his first Astronomy class is unforgettable. His stomach makes a gurgling sound, reminding him of the eventful dinner just now. Due to the presence of a certain someone, Hokuto has barely touched his food, being too overly conscious of the other. With a soft _‘Colloportus’_ , he locks the door and makes his way down the staircases.

“What are you doing here so late? It’s way past your curfew already,” said someone at the bottom of the stairs, a familar voice that Hokuto always longed to be directed to him.

The moonlight that filtered in from the windows shone on a figure, revealing a body clad in the Hogwarts robe, a green and silver tie, with a green badge that shows Prefect written on it. His jet black hair appears darker underneath the moonlight, his bangs slightly covering his left eyes and giving off a slight intimidating aura around the Slytherin. However there is a small smile decorating the Prefect’s face, as if he is amused to find the Gryffindor there. 

“I.. fell asleep while watching the stars just now. I didn’t plan to stay out late,” Hokuto replies, diverting his eyes to the side. Since first year, he was never left alone with the Slytherin. Their interactions all these years are mostly mediated through their other friends. He feels awkward, for the lack of better words, when interacting with the Prefect nowadays.

“Hmm..” the lack of unintelligible reply from Kazuma does not make the situation better. Before the Gryffindor tries to form an excuse to leave the place, the Prefect brings out his wand and points it at the red-haired boy. Feeling alarmed that the Prefect wants to cast some spells as a form of punishment for breaking the curfew, Hokuto raises his hands in front of him in surrender, the thought of using his own wand for defense does not even cross his mind.

_“Focillo.”_

The red-haired Gryffindor blinks in surprise at the incantation of The Warming Spell before finding himself enveloped in warmth, coming off the tip of Kazuma’s wand and penetrating his torso, spreading from his core down to his toes. He just realized how cold he is after staying out at the top of the tower, his body slightly shivering and his fingers pale underneath his sleeves. He wonders, is his condition so apparent to the naked eye or is the prefect just observant enough to notice?

“That spell should warm you up enough to last until you reach Gryffindor’s dormitory. Can you manage to go back by yourself or do you want me to accompany you along the way?” Kazuma asks with his head tilted to the side. 

Hokuto bristles, feeling annoyed with himself for thinking how ( _Cute? No. Adorable? NO._ ) evil the other boy looks in that moment. “Aren’t you going to report me for breaking the rule?”

Kazuma shrugs, “It could be our little secret,” he replies instead, his eyes teasing and glinting with hidden mischief.

Feeling another spread of warmth over his face, the red-haired boy immediately walks away from the area, wanting to reach his dorm as fast as he can and possibly, to hide himself underneath his pillows.

“Good night, Hoku."

He really hates Kazuma. Truly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here it is, another multi chapter fic of mine. i initially wanted to make this a oneshot, but there are too many things i want to clarify and build up first, so..... yeah, multi chapter it is. as compared to furusato, i don't have a specific direction for this plot so updates would be irregular *crying*
> 
> -i'm just a hp fan who only watch the movies and never read the books, so im so so sorry if this fic has so many faults regarding the hp universe. T.T i only used wiki as my guide
> 
> -i tried to build new things in this universe, hence all those new rules implemented in hogwarts (in the future chapters too probably)
> 
> -any kinds of feedbacks are much welcome!! kudos or comments either here or at my twitter @/eterlnfinity <3


	2. Chapter 2

Hokuto wakes up early on the next Monday, chasing off the last remnants of his dream filled with a certain prefect clad in green shade outer garments. He had spent the night tossing and turning about on his bed after his encounter with Kazuma, recalling the way the prefect wished him last night. What’s with the sudden familiarity? Didn’t Kazuma spend the previous three years avoiding him? What made the boy struck with the sudden need to make amends with him? Resigned with the fact that it was unlikely for him to find out the answer an hour passed midnight, he ended up casting a sleeping charm on himself to help him sleep.

He is thankful that he only has herbology for the first period, as the professor will likely to focus on the Bubotuber plants in the greenhouse, hopefully not noticing him zoning out at the corner. Even with the quick bite he took before the lesson does not help him to get out of his sleepy state. 

“-- paired with Yoshino.” Hokuto absent-mindedly nods to whatever the professor is telling at the front when he notices his name is mentioned. Snapping out of his dreamy state, he only manages to utter a small ‘Yes?’, not understanding the implication of it. Shogo elbows him from the side, shaking his head at the sight of his best friend being sleepy and clueless at only 9 o'clock in the morning. 

“Professor was just assigning everyone with their own pair for this semester,” the Hufflepuff whispers, trying to orientate his best friend into the reality.

“Okay, so what is the task? When is the assignment due?”

“Hokuto, we are not paired together.”

“Huh?”

“Professor paired you with Kazuma this semester.”

_What. the. Heck._

Hokuto just stares blankly at his best friend, unable to comprehend the words uttered by the other boy. Before he gets the chance to ask further, a body stands in front of him, the very familiar color of silver and green tie glaring in his vision. The Gryffindor gapes, his mouth forming an ‘O’ like a goldfish. _Oh god no no no, please no._

“Let’s do our best, Hoku,” said Kazuma, the tiniest hint of smirk decorating his mouth. He looks positively smug at the prospect of being the Gryffindor's groupmate.

 _Someone kills me already,_ Hokuto cries in his mind.

-

After the shocking (he could imagine Shougo rolling his eyes at this) event during the first lesson, Hokuto no longer feels sleepy throughout the day. In fact, he remains alert and hypervigilant, as if he is expecting the Slytherin to appear behind him at any time. Enduring the presence of Kazuma during Herbology is exhausting enough, as he feels as if the other boy was observing him closely. They are tasked to take care of a Bubotuber plant for several weeks before needing to safely collect the Bubotuber pus later in the semester. That means nothing but more suffering for the Gryffindor, as he is likely needed to spend more time with the prefect even outside of their lessons. He had suggested taking turns to take care of the plant, but it is shot down by the other boy immediately.

“I think it’s better for us both to monitor the progress together, so that any of us will not miss anything important that might happen to the plant,” said Kazuma then. 

Hokuto wishes he could say that the prefect said that to spite him, but there was no teasing expression on the other’s face, leaving him no choice but to agree. He goes through Arithmancy and Transfiguration class during the second and third period in a blink, absorbing all the numbers into his mind and trying to change a hedgehog into pincushion without facing any difficulty. 

And here he is, currently eating his lunch with Itsuki while waiting for Shougo and Shohei. He wants to ask the Slytherin about the whereabouts of a certain third year Slytherin, but he does not want to be teased in turn by the cat-lover. 

“You guys are hopelessly quiet and boring without those two chatter-boxes,” said a voice, joining the table uninvited.

“Is that a proper way to talk to your senior, Kaisei?” Itsuki refutes, smacking the younger Griffindor at the back of his head. 

“Ouch! Stop hitting me. It’s not like we are that far in age, our birth only differs by four months, Itsuki, so get over it,” Kaisei replies, with his right hand rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Hokuto just grins, not minding the youngest one’s behavior at all. Being in the same Quidditch team as Kaisei makes him already accustomed to it. He knows that Itsuki does not mind either, but he loves to prank their younger friends all the same.

“What do you guys have after this?” asks Kaisei, already summoning his lunch from the table. Salads and fruits are all Hokuto could see, along with several strips of roasted chicken breast. Trust the third year to eat one of the healthiest meals in Hogwarts, being the health freak that he is. Hokuto will not be surprised if the younger Gryffindor counts his daily calorie intake too.

“We have Charms class, followed by Care of Magical Creatures. We also have Astronomy class at midnight later,” Hokuto replies.

“Are you coming to the Quidditch practice today?” Kaisei asks. The third year Gryffindor is part of the team himself, being one of the beaters alongside Zin, a fourth year. Quidditch games will be held in about two to three months, but it is customary for each house to hold tryouts so that it is easier to scout for new talents and to practice earlier in the year to ensure better teamwork between the team members. 

Hokuto nods, bringing a spoonful of shepherd’s pie into his mouth. However, a certain dark-haired Slytherin invades his thoughts, reminding the red-haired boy of his promise to visit the greenhouse later that evening. He hastily swallows down the food inside his mouth, and replies, “I’m sorry, Kaisei, I nearly forgot. I need to check up on the Bubotuber plant this evening, so there’s a possibility of me arriving late. Hopefully, it won’t take long.”

“Hoho, do you plan to have a date with Kazuma throughout this whole evening, Hokuto? You sure move fast,” said Itsuki, his eyebrows raising up and down mockingly. Hokuto wants to slap the Slytherin across his smug face. 

“Shut your trap, Itsuki, or I’ll send pictures of you looking at your crush to everyone in this school,” said the red-haired boy.

“And how would you do that, huh? I dare you to try to jinx me, and I’ll return back the favor 100 times greater,” replied the Slytherin, his hand already brandishing out his wand and pointing it towards his friend. He always loves to play a trick or two on others, a result of being childhood friends with Shohei.

“Guys, I don’t think your professor will appreciate the sight of two of his students having a crooked nose or a swollen face right before the class, will he? Though there may be the advantage of him teaching you the counter-spell or the healing spell later,” Riku interjects, bringing a _Runes Dictionary_ textbook with him to the table. Zin follows behind him, shaking his head at the sight of the two bickering juniors.

“Just leave them be, Zin, Riku. Let the professor deduct points from their houses,” Shogo adds, finally joining the table for lunch with Shohei.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind if not for the fact that Hokuto’s deducted points will affect my house as well, seeing that we are both Gryffindor,” Zin laughs, pointing his wand to the table and summons his lunch. “So what is this thing I heard about Hokuto not joining our Quidditch practice today?”

“He has to take care of the Bubotuber plant with Kazuma,” Shohei replies.

“Why don’t you take turns? Me and Zin used to do that last year,” asks Riku.

“I wanted to, but he refused my offer earlier,” Hokuto half-wails, his head in his hand. 

“Since this is only the first week of the task, I guess it’s understandable that he wants both of you to be there, just to be safe,” adds Riku.

Zin nods, agreeing with the fifth year Hufflepuff. “It’s only an induction session with the new recruits plus some flying sessions in the pitch after that. And we do not have any new recruits aiming for the Seeker position, so it’s okay if you are not there today.”

Hokuto thanks the older boy as his guilt lessens up a bit hearing that. He continues eating his lunch with the other five, trying not to think about the dreaded meeting with the Slytherin prefect.

\- 

Unsurprisingly, the fourth year Charms lesson that afternoon is a tiring one. Even when they are only currently in the third week, they are required to learn new spells apart from preparing for quizzes for the spells and charms learned during the previous three years. This is to prepare the students for the O.W.L examination next year, as previously explained by their older friends.

Chanting _“Accio”_ so fervently does not seem to do the trick, despairs Hokuto as he later finds out that it requires the spell caster to put his utmost concentration into it as well when casting the Summoning Charm. The quill that he places near the entrance of the Classroom 99 does not return to his hand, a glaring sign that he is nowhere in succeeding the task. Shougo and Itsuki have succeeded a while ago and are currently reading their _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_ textbook on the topic of Banishing Charm to kill time. Even Shohei, who is usually among the last to successfully cast a spell, manages to complete his task.

The red-haired boy chances a glance at his surroundings, taking note of the rapidly dwindling number of students that shares the same fate as him. His eyes stop at the sight of Kazuma, who is looking outside the windows with a bored expression on his face. As compared to him, the prefect is among the earliest one to cast the spell. annoyance and frustration bubbles up inside of him, making him feel determined not to lose to the other boy. Hokuto redirects his wand to the general direction of his quill and repeats the spell, and his quill instantaneously flies to his left hand, much to his relief. 

The class ends about 20 minutes after that, with the students dispersing in various directions. They are supposed to have a Care of the Magical Creatures lesson after that, but their professor is out of town, leaving them with a task to study everything about Niffler so that they can discuss it next week. Hokuto decides to go to the library or find an area to rest for a while. 

“Hoku.”

The said boy turns around at that, coming face to face with the owner of the voice. 

“Do you want to go to the greenhouse immediately after this?” asks Kazuma after seeing no response from the Gryffindor. “Since we don’t have class right now, we might as well go there to check up on the plant. Plus if we end early, you can go for your Quidditch training after that.”

Hokuto sputters, only managing to spout nonsensical words as the reply. He initially plans to rest for a bit in the library before meeting the boy, but it seems like luck is not on his side. He follows the boy to the greenhouse, ignoring the curious and teasing look thrown by Shohei and Itsuki behind him. 

They arrive at the greenhouse a few minutes later, the place empty from students or other professors. Hokuto sighs, as he hopes to find some of his classmates there. He realizes they are likely to come there later during the evening. He goes straight to the assigned Bubotuber plant, eager to have some distance between him and the Slytherin.

Speaking of Kazuma, he continues to observe the plant in silence, letting his red-haired partner do the work by himself. Once or twice Hokuto finds the boy looking outside the greenhouse almost distractedly, as if there is something out there that demands his attention. He bites back the urge to snap at the prefect after seeing the boy has done nothing since their arrival. 

“Kazuma, I’ve finished changing the soil and watering the plant. I think we are done for today.”

“Alright, I already wrote it down. Based on the size of our plant, I think it’s going to take about three weeks before we can obtain the pus,” the prefect says, as he helps to lift the pot and place it near the windows where the sun filters in.

Hokuto hums in understanding, leaning on the counter where a various collection of soils are placed on it. “You know, I still think it’s better if we take turns after all. It’s not like we need two persons to take care of this small plant.”

“Maybe you’re right. But neither of us would be lonely if we stick together like this,” Kazuma replies, a hint of a smile forming on his face. 

“We are just tending to the plant for several weeks only, for god sake, not for a few years. Stop being so dramatic,” the Gryffindor exclaims, rolling his eyes for good measure.

The dark-haired boy laughs, the sound bright and lively enough that Hokuto cannot help but to crack a smile in response.

“Nah, let’s just stay like this. The more the company, the better,” Kazuma says, before taking out his wand. He points his wand downwards, while the palm of his left hand is held outward in front of the plant, _“Salvio hexia.”_

Hokuto startles after hearing the protective enchantment coming out of the other’s mouth. “Hex deflection charm? Isn’t it too excessive to protect a mere plant?” Not just that, the spell is considered a high grade one, judging by the way it is included in the syllabus for the fifth year students only. However, Kazuma only shrugs, choosing not to elaborate on his action. His face is closed off, his eyes dark as if remembering something distant but painful to him. 

Hokuto remembers the story revolving around the dark-haired boy and his bullies, and he finally understands. Perhaps it has become a second nature to the boy to cast protective charms around him due to those incidents, as a way to protect himself from those who want to hurt him in the first place. He chooses not to question it further, and proceeds to clean his hands from the remaining soil. 

“Can we go now? It’s still early, so I thought of going to the practice after all,” asks the Gryffindor, wiping his hand using a clean washcloth. The prefect agrees, and the two end up walking to the Quidditch pitch together. The walk is filled with a comforting silence, with neither of them feel pressured to hold a conversation between them. 

However, the Slytherin decides to break the silence, asking about the other’s preparation for that year’s Quidditch tournaments. Hokuto finds himself easily holding a conversation with the other, excitedly sharing about his team’s new recruits for that year. It is as if they were long-time friends that share the same enthusiasm for Quidditch, the three years gap of not communicating with each other vanishes into thin air. Whatever the reason that caused the dark-haired boy to distance himself with Hokuto in the first place, he hopes he will no longer be subjected to that feeling ever again.

-

Shohei is tired. 

He really is. 

Whoever said that fourth year is the best time in Hogwarts is a liar. The number of homeworks they are given, the revisions for O.W.L. examination, the new things to be learned, they all pile up and gradually increase by day. Not to mention, most of the professors demand them to be better as compared to the third year, while not losing out to the fifth year students. 

So yeah, even when he is renowned for being excitable and overzealous, he already feels drained down to his bone in the third week of his fourth year of study.

But his exhaustion never reaching the extent of listening to his friend rattles on and on about his enemy? friend? (more like a crush, but the red-haired boy would never admit it out loud). He is confused about what's the current relationship between the two, as he still remembers the way Hokuto is saddened with the way that the Slytherin avoided him in the last three years. 

But then, there they were, appearing at the Quidditch pitch together even though the slightly older boy did not have any business being there in the first place. Hokuto mentioned that it is because both of them were just returning from the greenhouse. Okay, but that did not explain the fact that Kazuma could easily go back to his dormitory and leave Hokuto to walk to the pitch by himself. But the prefect lingered at the scene, quietly observing their practices and the new recruits training session at the side. (It was supposed to be top secret! He is from the opposing team, after all.)

And the boy’s presence had turned his friend into a bumbling,graceless mess of limbs. Hokuto is currently acting as if he does not know how to ride a broomstick, even after being a Seeker for their team for two years. His friend defends himself by saying that it is due to the old school’s broomstick that he is using, and not his own _Tempest_ in order to be fair to the new recruits.

Huh, talk about being oblivious as heck.

Even their new recruits are snickering at their Seeker and pointing obnoxiously to the Slytherin prefect, as they are likely able to connect the dots now. 

So yeah, Shohei is tired.

“Kazuma!” “Kazuma! Come and join us!”

Bless Zin, Kaisei and their fiery Gryffindor spirits. He knows that one of the attributes of a Gryffindor is being chivalrous, but he doesn’t think it applies to Quidditch games. He loves his friends from the three other houses very dearly, but he would never let them win a point against him thanks to his competitive nature. And now the two Beaters are inviting the dark-haired boy to join their practice session (is that even allowed? He is a Slytherin!). 

Much to his horror, Kazuma agrees, taking one of the old broomsticks to give a proper demonstration to the new recruits. Of course he ends up being the one facing the other boy, as both of them being the Chasers in their own respective teams. 

Hokuto comes down to the field after his solo practice of chasing the golden snitch, showing his interest in watching the match. His bangs are plastered to his forehead, while the rest of the silky red strands now stick in different directions due to the winds. His face is flushed from exertion, but the boy still appears as flawless as ever, causing some of the new recruits to openly gawk at the sight. Shohei had seen the way their juniors and seniors observed his friend all these years, trying to discreetly gain the boy’s favor. Unfortunately for them, his friend never showed any interest towards them.

Refocusing his attention on the Quaffle in the palm of Zin, Shohei began to face his opponent in earnest. Shohei could see the taut clench of his jaw and his eyebrows furrowed, a sign that the dark-haired boy is getting serious. Facing Kazuma in a match never fails to excite him, especially when the other boy completely immerses himself in the game. The exhilaration that he feels when chasing after the ball is undescribable, along with the feeling of being hunted by the other boy that he often needs to shake off during the game. The way the Slytherin moves in the pitch is like a wolf chasing its prey, causing his opponents to avoid facing him directly altogether. 

But Shohei is never like the rest of them. It is in his nature to play with his opponents, tricking them into a wild goose chase only to later reveal that the Quaffle is never in his possession all along. And sometimes he would take the Quaffle by himself and fly several laps around the pitch, making the other Chasers chase him around. This is to give some time for Hokuto to search for the Golden Snitch. He never had the chance to do his tricks before in their games with Slytherin, as the combination of Kazuma and Itsuki is a formidable pair of foes to trick during the match.

And when the Quaffle is lifted from Zin’s palm, he quickly takes the ball and flies away, aiming straight for the goal post. Behind him, he can hear the other chaser follow suit, the wind hitting both of their outfits and whistling behind their ears. Shohei tries to put a distance between them, but it is arguably a hard task to achieve considering the Slytherin is hot on his heels. Looking at the goal post in front of him, the Gryffindor aims and throws the ball into the loop. Seconds before the point is counted, a shadow flies underneath him, forming an arch before appearing just before the metal loop and catches the ball. Kazuma grins, showing off the Quaffle in his possession before zooming past the still awe-strucked Gryffindor and going towards the opposite goal post.

_One point for Slytherin._

The two continue their match against each other, forgetting the initial goal of teaching the new recruits. Their unofficial battle has gathered quite a number of onlookers, thanks to their popular reputation especially the prefect’s devoted followers. No one’s keeping tally of the score anymore as observing the two Chasers’ tricks and plays in the field is more entertaining.

And if someone sees a certain Gryffindor seeker watching the match with a fond smile on his face, they know better than to poke fun of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -im gonna take my time writing this fic, which means lots of cheesy stuff mixed with hogwarts stuff, and i'll gradually explore the main conflict bit by bit. even for this short chapter, i swear my brain all fried up coz i'm still struggling to overcome my writer's block >.<  
> -furusato's update gonna take a while T.T  
> -thank you fuyuki & aeriseu for the comments, and thank you for the kudos that you guys had left for this fic <333


	3. Chapter 3

It is only 8.30 pm on a Thursday evening, and Likiya is currently sitting in Ravenclaw's common room. The room has a wide, circular shape to it in courtesy of its location at the fifth floor of the Ravenclaw Tower. There are several arched windows that grace its wall, the view of the night sky almost resembling the painted stars on the dome-shaped ceiling. There are blue and bronze tapestries that line the ceiling, the wall and the floor likewise, giving a dreamy and tranquil ambience in the room. It is a pity that his friends from other houses are not allowed to be in the room, as he is pretty sure some of them would appreciate the view from the room very much, especially Hokuto.

He is currently writing notes about dementors, with the textbook lying on the table to act as a reference. There are several other books strewn haphazardly on the table as well, all comprising the subjects that he wants to revise for tomorrow’s lessons. His quill is moving at an impressive speed, the black ink bleeds and seeps into the empty light brown parchment. The sharp metallic smell of dye from the ink and musky wood from the parchment mixes together and overwhelms his olfactory sense, though the sixth year Ravenclaw surprisingly takes comfort in it. His eyes rapidly skim over the lines while his brain takes in the information that he needs for the assignment.

Several inches from his parchment lies a cup of joe, the bitter roasty scent of freshly-roasted coffee beans wafted through the circular room, making several heads turn into his way. He realizes that it is still early for him to indulge in that heavenly drink, but old habits die hard. There is a possibility of him having another two or three servings of it to last the entire night. Passing his O.W.L. examination in the previous year does not indicate that he has a lot of free time, as he now needs to prepare for N.E.W.T. examination on the next year, followed by his graduation.

That is why he chose to study alone that day, foregoing his usual routine of studying with his friends from different houses at the Great Hall. He had sent a message to Riku that afternoon, so that his friends would not be left wondering about the reason for his absence that evening. He continues to read, trying to play ignorance to the sound of footsteps that are gradually becoming louder behind the entrance. He tampers down the urge to sigh, and silently counts down from ten. Somehow, he has a feeling that he will not get much studying done that night. The footsteps have seemingly stopped behind the door, a voice enthusiastically answering whatever riddle the door knocker decided to give to the said person. Likiya braces himself for their entry, as he is sure that person is unlikely to be quiet and stealthy upon entering the room.

“LIKIYA!”

And there stands Kenta, the culprit behind the thunderous voice and footsteps. The fifth year Ravenclaw’s face is flushed red from exertion, likely due to the long trip up the staircases to reach the common room, with his eyes wide open from his enthusiasm. His robe appears as if being put on absent-mindedly beforehand, as it appears to lean towards the right shoulder more. The blue and bronze tie is skewed to the side, with the collar of his shirt slightly opened. All in all, he is not portraying the typical image of a Ravenclaw at the slightest. 

Behind him there are two figures standing close to the boy, which appear to be Takahide and Takuma, his third year juniors who immediately wave at him as a greeting. The two choose to remain behind the white statue over the entrance, while Kenta is approaching the sixth year pureblood rapidly. At least they have the courtesy to remain courteous and silent to avoid disrupting the other students in the common room, unlike the former. Likiya wonders where did the boys get their energy from, when he still feels tired from the grueling Quidditch practice that day, in which Takahide and Kenta also being part of the team.

Sometimes, he really does wonder whether the Sorting Hat had made a mistake in assigning Kenta into this house, considering his mischievous and enthusiastic nature. However he belatedly remembers the way the Ravenclaw answered the riddle to enter the common room like a second thought when it usually took a longer time than that for a common Ravenclaw student, hinting at the true level of his intelligence. He realizes that the other boy really suited to be in this house, regardless of his antics and misbehaviours.

“What do you want, Kenta?” Likiya asks quietly while putting his quill on the table at the same time. He lets the book remain open, hoping that it will give some clue to the boy to not bother him that evening, though he feels that he is utterly failing in that aspect.

“We need your help! It’s important!”

Likiya seriously doubts it.

“Regarding what, may I ask?”

Kenta shakes his head and is adamant on not telling the older boy, making Likiya feel even more suspicious. “I can’t tell you about it here, or other people may eavesdrop on our conversation,” he replies.

“Alright, alright, I’ll come down later. Just let me send this book to my room first. Where are we meeting?” the older boy relents, closing his book with a snap and putting away his quill and ink into his satchel. He waves his wand and rearranges his books, softly muttering ‘ _Wingardium Leviosa’_ underneath his breath to elevate them in the air to make it easier to bring them with him.

“Come to our usual table in the garden. Most of us are already there, so it wouldn’t take long for our meeting,” added Kenta, already halfway out of the door in the middle of his sentences.

Some people may be wondering why he chooses to spend his time with his friends instead of studying or doing something meaningful enough in his final two years of study in Hogwarts. His reason will always stay the same, there is nothing that beats the importance of making memories with his friends.

-

“We have a problem.” Kenta starts, looking around the table with a dire expression on his face.

“No, we don’t.” Rui counters.

“Do we?” Zin is confused.

“I’m telling you that we don’t,” answers Rui vehemently.

“We have, and it is a serious one!” Kenta refuses to back out.

“For god sake, Kenta, I’m telling you for years that Hokuto’s love life is not our problem,” argues Itsuki, nearly hissing the words out due to his frustration. Mars stirs underneath his hand, his master’s loud voice nearly waking it up from its sleep.

 _I skipped my study time for this?_ Likiya nearly laughs out loud from the irony of it.

“It is a problem when it affects us all. Even us, the seniors from fifth and sixth year are facing the brunt of it!” Kenta exclaims, waving his hand around to somehow emphasize the importance of his statements. He looks like an excited penguin.

“Oh wow, look at him being proud when he finally gets to use the ‘ _I’m older’_ card,” remarks Kaisei sinisterly, with Ravenclaw paying him no attention.

“Kenta, I think we, the fourth year students, are the ones that suffered the most as we spent 24/7 with those two, not the seniors or juniors,” Shogo chuckles, amused with the older’s antics.

“That’s why we need to do something fast to avoid it from spreading to the rest of us!”

“He made it sound like it is some kind of a disease,” Takahide mutters under his breath while shaking his head.

“You guys are all conspiring here and forgetting the fact that Kazuma’s close confidante is here,” Takuma grins and points towards the white-haired Slytherin beside Itsuki, making all eyes turn towards the said person.

Makoto just laughs at the bewildered faces, his eyes turning into crinkles while his hand flicks side to side as if to brush off their worries. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him.”

Itsuki probably swoons a bit at the sight of the younger Slytherin laughing.

“Where’s Yamasho?” asks Ryu, turning around as if to look for the pureblood.

“He did not want to come when I asked him earlier. He just said ‘Pathetic’ to me and went to bed early,” said Itsuki. 

“Okayyy, that’s scary. Riku mentioned to me that he needs to patrol around the school tonight with Kazuma,” says Shogo, shivering a bit underneath his robes. Their circle of friends knew better than to disrupt the fifth year Slytherin’s. Yamamoto Shogo, or Yamasho as his friends called him, is also a prefect along with Riku, Likiya and Kazuma, who just recently became one. That is why they never questioned their absence during one of their gatherings, as those four probably had their own tasks to be done. 

“What do you have in mind, Kenta?” Rui sighs, already giving up from persuading his best friend to leave the matter alone. He just wants the meeting to end already.

“How about we just lock them up in a closet or something?” suggests Shohei, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“Hmm, a classic move in those Muggle movies. Very interesting,” Kenta nods his head, agreeing with the suggestion.

Likiya deadpans, as if he cannot believe what he is hearing, “Except you are forgetting the fact that we are in Hogwarts and the two will have their wands with them. The last thing we want is for one of the professors asking around why one of the closets in the school is being blasted into bits by the Explosion Charm.”

“Okay, no closet thingy. Other suggestions, please?”

“Just put in a few drops of some love potions into Hokuto’s drink or food, just enough to make him confess to Kazuma or something. Four years of watching that idiot pines for him is excruciating enough. Now I have to watch them circling around each other, too afraid to make the first move even when everyone in our class could see they are smitten with each other,” Shogo half-wails, hiding his head in his arms. Ryu and Takahide laugh so hard at that, tears brimming at the corner of their eyes due to their amusement.

“We all haven’t learned how to concoct one yet, you fool. Likiya is the only one who is in sixth year here, and even he has not learned about it,” refutes Itsuki, with the said student shaking his head in apology for not being able to help.

“We cannot take some from the storeroom, or the professor might penalize us for it. What if we bought some of it during our trip to Hogsmeade this weekend? If I’m not mistaken, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes still sell some of it, and the dosages are not that strong, so we don’t have to worry about the side effect of it that much,” Zin says, remembering his trip to the infamous shop last year. He is reminded of the way some of his female classmates hovering around the blinding pink concoctions, their eyes mesmerized as if already being charmed. Riku and him had never exited a shop that fast in their life.

“Yes, I forget that we are going to the Hogsmeade this weekend! Good idea! I’m not sure how much one bottle will cost, but if everyone chipped in it should be alright,” exclaims Kenta, clearly being excited with the prospect of the said trip.

“Actually, Shogo, Shohei, and I had several plans for those two during our History of Magic lesson tomorrow. We won’t tell the rest of you what is it, just wait for our report later,” he grins conspiratorially. 

“Furthermore, we are going to have potions class for our last two period tomorrow. I’ll just grab some of the available ingredients for love potion, just in case we need to make it ourselves later,” adds Shogo. “Likiya, can you please look up the ingredients needed and send it to me tomorrow morning?” he asks, to which the pureblood nodded.

“Who is going to make it, though?” asks Kaisei. He never had a penchant for potions.

“Of course, who else but our resident potion master, Takkun!” exclaims Rui, making the said boy blushes under the praise. They all know about his expertise in the said subjects, as he oftens successfully creates nearly every potion as required in the syllabus, making his friends affectionately called him as potion master.

“Alright, it’s getting late. I need to return back to the dormitory before Hokuto returns from his Divination class. I don’t want him getting suspicious if he sees us gathered together like this,” Shohei says. The rest of them stand up at once, belatedly noticing that they are the only ones left in the garden.

“Shogo, when you said that those two are insufferable this time around, is it that bad?” Ryu asks, walking behind the Hufflepuff. Usually the younger one is not one to gossip and pry on other people’s matter, but his curiosity is getting the better of him. He does not expect all three fourth year students to turn towards him, their faces donning matching expressions full of exasperation and desperation.

“The worst.”

-

The best.

Well, no, not really. But Hokuto genuinely believes the week is shaping to a nearly perfect end. He is able to keep up with the lessons and assignments, while managing to sneak in some time to study in the library as well. His relationship with Kazuma is getting better, as he is able to converse with the prefect with no awkwardness left between them. Their Bubotuber plant is growing healthily under their care, and they managed to obtain praises and encouragement from their professor as well due to its progress. 

Yesterday turned out to be quite eventful for them. After leaving the Care of Magical Creatures lesson quite late (as their professor already returned from their trip), they went to the greenhouse as usual. One hour turned into two, and later changed into three hours, as the two seemingly had lost track of the time and stayed there until the bell rang to indicate dinner time. They both turned up at their table at the Garden, appeared all dirty and smelled of soil and fertilisers. They both skipped their bath and decided to have dinner first, much to the astonishment of their friends. Even during dinner he could not stop from talking to Kazuma, sharing everything that came to his mind. The Slytherin appeared to indulge him all the same, albeit replying to him in a much calmer and collected manner.

After dinner, there was nothing else to do but to clean themselves up. He planned to just take a brief nap before Astronomy class that night, but he ended up sleeping right until the very appointed time. He rushed to the Astronomy Tower, face streaked with the crease from the pillows and his robe inside out. He was surprised to see Kazuma standing outside the door to the classroom, the prefect’s normally immaculate appearance was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he appeared to just be woken up, his eyes tired and his dark hair sticking up in several different directions. The boy was yawning before he spotted Hokuto standing a few feet away from him.

Kazuma blinked his eyes blearily, and greeted, “Hokuto.” Only one word, _his_ name, nothing else. But it was enough to make the Gryffindor’s heart race tremendously, his own tiredness long forgotten. 

“Hey, Kazuma. Why aren’t you getting in already?” he asked.

“I thought I’m gonna wait for you, seeing that we both arrived late to the class this time. Who knows, maybe the professor will let us go easy without penalizing us?” the Slytherin shrugs, letting out another yawn.

Only then the Gryffindor realized how tired the other boy looked, the dark circle around his eyes were getting more prominent. The prefect also looked as if he had lost some weight. Hokuto felt guilty about complaining about his exhaustion, when Kazuma shared almost the same schedules with him added with his responsibility as a prefect. 

“Let’s apologize properly, then. I don’t think the professors are that cruel to punish us for something like this.”

“You’re right. Plus, you are one of his favorite students after all,” said Kazuma, looking at him with his eyes glinting with meanings.

They had entered into the class shortly after that, where the professor indeed forgave them for their tardiness. Hokuto had taken a seat beside Itsuki, while Kazuma sat at the table with Shohei and Shogo. Itsuki and Shohei were looking at both of them alternatingly, taking in the sight of them and questioning their reason silently. He paid no heed to them, choosing to focus on the lesson instead. 

Later, he ended up stealing a few glances towards the Slytherin during the lesson, mainly in concern of the other’s well being as he did not want Kazuma to somehow be unable to focus in class due to his condition. He was pretty sure his friends mistook his actions later, but he did not have the chance to explain it to them.

Taking a glance at his watch, he realizes he only has a few more minutes to make it to his destination. Thursday’s night meant Divination lesson for him, where he Is currently walking to Classroom Eleven on the ground floor, where the class is being held. He is among the only few who choose the subject as their electives. Starting from third year in Hogwarts, they are required to take seven core classes, consisting of Charms, Potions, Transfigurations, Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy and Defence against the Dark Arts; along with two electives from the choices of Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Study of Muggles, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures.

Divination is considered one of the least popular choices of subjects to be taken as the student’s electives in Hogwarts. The subject mainly discusses methods of divining the future, or gathering insights into future events, using various rituals and tools. The subject is relatively not favored among the students, as some of them deemed it too ‘wishy-washy’ for them and not practical enough. While the others, who ended up taking the course, are basically aiming to gain extra credit without exerting too much effort, as the rumors said it is practically impossible to fail the subject if you have a mind that is imaginative enough to impress the professor.

Hokuto does not belong to either group. He neither has an imaginative mind, nor hates the subject. But last year, when he attended the class for the first time, along with Itsuki, he had blurted out this one dream that he had during his childhood to the professor. And somehow, the professor was taken aback by his sharing and was left speechless for a few minutes. She had later taken both of his hands into her grip, claiming that that dream resembled a long lost prophecy from years ago.

That event had shook him to his core, the feel of his professor's cold, dry hands against his was something he could not forget for a long time. Itsuki justified that it was probably just a trick from her to persuade her students to remain in the class, but the Gryffindor did not share the same sentiment. He returned for the next lesson, and the next, and the next, until he finally chose it to be one of his elective courses. Itsuki apologized to him for not staying, and he honestly did not mind a bit. 

Divination lessons that night mainly discuss the art of using Astrology and horoscope charts to predict the future, with the latter kind of reminding the Gryffindor about the constellations that he learns during Astronomy. The class ended about half an hour before midnight, with the sky only having the moon as its source of light. He is listening to his classmates discussing the lesson when he notices some sort of shadows hiding behind the statue in the middle of the courtyard. He stops walking and brings out his wand, its unusual pearl white color appears brighter under the moonlight. 

_“Lumos.”_

Chanting the Wand-Lighting Charm, the pureblood walks towards it cautiously, hoping that it is only the shadows of someone’s owl or cat that has accidentally escaped to the courtyard. However, there is nothing there to be seen. The sound of light footsteps, albeit it being brief, startles him, making him circling around in hopes of finding the source or the person behind it.

“Is someone there?” asks Hokuto, with only silence as his answer. The Gryffindor still cannot shake off the feeling of being watched, even when he could see nothing. He breaks into a run, trying to get to the dormitory as fast as he could. He does not stop until he reaches within the safety of his room, where he shares with Shohei. Curiously enough, the boy appears to be wide awake, playing with Remembrall on his bed. Upon seeing Hokuto’s sudden entrance, the muggle-born sits up straight, his face alarmed.

“What’s wrong, Hoku? Why did you look so pale?” he asks, before grabbing Hokuto’s hand and pulls him to sit beside him on the bed. “Your pulses are so fast. Did you just run back to the room just now?”

The pureblood just shakes his head, only registering how bad his condition he is in to turn the usually cheerful boy into a worrywart. “It’s nothing, Shohei. I thought I saw something on my way back from class just now, but on second thought, it’s probably just me overreacting a bit.”

The chaser does not seem to be convinced by his explanation, judging by the way the orange-haired boy purses his lips in return. But he does not pursue the subject further, briefly hugging his friend as an offer of comfort until the red-haired boy stops shivering.

Hokuto changes into his pajamas immediately after that, eager to sleep his worries away. After dimming the light and bidding ‘goodnight’ to Shohei, he goes to sleep, hoping that his sleep will come easy, free from the nightmares or any frightening memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woot woot, it's getting serious~  
> as usual, feedbacks are most welcomed <3 and thank you for the kudos T.T


	4. Chapter 4

**_(FRIDAY)_ **

_ They  _ are up to something.

That is the conclusion that Kazuma comes up with after watching his friends, mainly Shogo, Itsuki and Shohei, visibly vibrating in their seats, trying their hardest to contain the excitement jitters flowing in their bodies. There is a suspicious glint present in each of their eyes, a tell-tale that is ever present whenever they are planning tricks on someone, being the mischievous bunch they are. It is not like he excluded himself from the circle, but he always chooses to observe from a distance, his wand is always at the ready to salvage any mishaps that might happen to his friends. 

There was this one time when Shohei planned to cast a Singing Jinx on a Cornish pixies during their Defence against Dark Art class in second year, only for the spell to backfire on himself. Kazuma knows that Shohei’s wand is made up of dogwood, famous for its tendency to favor owners who are playful in nature and very mischievous, a description that is very apt for the Gryffindor. Dogwood wands are also known to perform outstanding spells under pressure, though the (prefect does not think his friend had ever been in any kind of emergency situation his whole life, thus he cannot really confirm the legibility of the claim). He still remembers the way Itsuki tried to stop his childhood friend, even when everyone could see that the two of them shared a brain cell between them, judging by the way the Slytherin half-heartedly tried to stop Shohei’s plan that day. The Gryffindor’s plan failed miserably, and the muggle-born had ended up spending the rest of the day blaming his wand for it, albeit in a very lilting, melodic voice much to everyone’s amusement.

It is only the first period in Friday morning, and they are currently in Class 72 at the third floor, listening to Professor Bins drawls on and on about goblin rebellions, his monotonous voice already making half of the class drowsy even when it is still early in the morning, while the rest not showing any sign of concentrating at all. Kazuma chooses to observe his friends instead, and he is certain that their excitement is definitely not because of the lesson. He is sitting at the second last row at the far right of the class, with Itsuki sitting behind him. Shogo and Shohei are sitting together right in the middle of the class, and Hokuto is seen sitting at the forefront with another classmate. Shogo and Shohei are talking about something, and once in a while they will turn to look at Itsuki behind him, causing the prefect to resist groaning out loud for their lack of subtlety. He sincerely hopes the three of them remember not to use Shohei’s wand for any spell they had planned to do, or there will be a repeat of that day from two years ago.

Having history lessons first thing in the morning is never a good idea, especially for someone who had spent the previous night patrolling the school ground and losing some precious sleep time, like Kazuma. But him and Riku were fortunate enough to not encounter any misbehaved students or any suspicious occurrences at the hospital tower where they were assigned to. He had gone back to the Slytherin dormitory half an hour after midnight, with only dimmed greenish lamps to show him the way across the dungeons. 

When he reached his room that he shared with Itsuki however, he was surprised to see Makoto was there too, talking to the cat lover in hushed, conspiratorial voices, both sitting cross-legged on the floor. Mars was sleeping soundly on Itsuki’s bed, unperturbed by the absence of its owner by its side. They stopped immediately after he entered, which only increased his suspicion that they were talking about him. 

He raised his eyebrows, silently questioning them about their discussion. Makoto immediately stood up, greeting him goodnight and left the room, leaving Itsuki alone to face the brunt of Kazuma’s questioning stare. His roommate chose not to linger, immediately getting into his bed and giving lame excuses such as feeling excited for history class the next morning. Kazuma chose not to mention that they shared the same class, and nobody, nobody ever claimed history class to be interesting, unless the exam period is nearing and they  _ needed _ to be interested in the lessons. He went to bed, too tired to be bothered by the secretive duo. He did not get the chance to ask Itsuki properly, as the other boy had woken up and went to the class earlier than him. 

Whatever Itsuki and Makoto were planning, he was sure Shohei and Shogo knew about it too. But, curiously enough, the Gryffindor seems to be less enthusiastic today as compared to the other two. Even with the jitters and nervous tics he is sporting, Shohei looks a bit doubtful, as if he is not certain whether their plan is a good idea or not. That sole fact bothers the Slytherin a bit, as he knows that the muggle born is never an irresponsible person, even with the nickname ‘trickster’ given by their friends. The orange-haired boy is seen throwing worried glances towards his fellow Gryffindor sitting at the front of the class at times, ever being watchful of Hokuto from his seat.

Speaking of Hokuto, he wonders about the reason behind his unusual subdued appearance that day. The red-haired boy arrived at the classroom just a few minutes after Kazuma himself in the morning, with Shohei trailing behind him. Hokuto appeared to be distraught by something, his face pale with a slight appearance of dark circles underneath his eyes that proved his lack of sleep the night before. The pureblood also looked as if he was not paying attention to where he was going, guided into the classroom purely by Shohei’s linked arm around him.

The fourth years had Defense against Dark Arts class as the last two periods yesterday, and Kazuma knows nothing eventful happened during the lesson. The two of them also did not visit the greenhouse yesterday, as the plant had grown up healthily under their care, and did not need as frequent monitoring as before. So, the only possibility is that something occurred to Hokuto before, during, or after his Divination lesson at midnight.

Kazuma slowly curses under his breath, feeling a bit regretful that he was assigned at the other end of the castle, and not able to accompany the red-haired man back from his lessons as of the previous weeks. Furthermore, he was tagged with Riku, reducing his chance to move about by himself or to allow him to pay the Gryffindor’s a visit last night. There is a growing feeling of unease inside him lately, lingering at the back of his head like a warning for what about to come. But he has no one to disclose his feelings and worries to, not yet, at least. That is one of the reasons why he chose to become a prefect this year, after all. For now, what he can do is to keep the people precious to him safe, and to keep an eye on their surroundings for anything suspicious. 

Returning his gaze back to the red-haired pureblood, he observes the way the boy is letting the voice of the professor wash over him, as his mind is likely to be preoccupied by something. His right hand is holding a quill, a vain attempt to take notes of the lesson. Even from a distance, Kazuma can see the way the pale, slim fingers tremble a bit, nearly dropping the quill in shock when the ghost of Professor Bins suddenly appears in front of him. It is such a ridiculous feat to achieve as the ghost of Professor Bins is as scary as a little kitten, and it only serves to increase the prefect’s worry. He is scared of something, the Slytherin later realizes, slightly gritting his teeth in frustration upon his discovery.

_ What exactly happened to you last night? _

-

_ “And then, the goblins had successfully breached into the building, with the strength of…” _

“Drop the signal already, Shohei!”

“Just wait a bit more.”

“What are we even waiting for? If I have to listen to one more minute of Professor Bins droning on about the goblins, I’m going to fall asleep for real,” which surely turns out to be a jest, as the Hufflepuff is anything but sleepy right now.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to do it today, you know? Because last night Hokuto--”

“Stop worrying so much. It’s just a minor spell, and nothing could go wrong with it. I don’t even think Hokuto would believe the content of the letter, it’s just that we need to do it to see his reaction after that. For black mail purposes,” argues Shogo, grinning mischievously as he is already thinking of various ways to tease his childhood friend later. “Plus, maybe in this way we can improve his mood or get his mind off things,” he added, this time in a softer, more serious note.

It is not like Shogo does not notice Hokuto’s condition. He is one of his best friends after all. He had tried to coax the Gryffindor into telling him before the class started, only for his attempt to be brushed off. He knows that the red-haired boy can be stubborn at times, trying to hide everything so as to not worry the people around him.

Shohei sighs, finally yielding to Shohei’s persuasion. “Alright, alright.” He turns around, and nods to Itsuki when he is certain that Kazuma is focusing on the book in front of him. 

Itsuki brings out his wand, casting a spell under his breath on the paper in front of him, with several sentences already written on it. As a result, the paper starts to quiver, the edges folding in, forming into a butterfly origami and coming into life. Itsuki lightly blows on it, making the butterfly origami flutter its wings a bit before lifting off into the air. It floats in front of Kazuma for a while, with the Slytherin watching it in confusion as he wonders where it came from, before the origami continues to wander around, fluttering in the air and finally landing on top of Hokuto’s head.

\- 

Hokuto is nowhere focusing on the lessons, his mind keeps wandering back to last night. He still feels scared, but now there are two big questions running in his mind; what exactly was that thing, and why was he so spooked about it? Was it alive? He tried to remember everything that he had learnt in the lessons of magical creatures and the dark arts, but nothing fits the bill. Too lost in his thoughts, he does not pay attention to his surroundings until he feels something on his head. He pats his hair carefully, and his hand stumbles onto a paper, no, an origami folded into a shape of a butterfly. It is still moving, as if it is alive, though Hokuto deduces it probably has been enchanted by a spell. After a while, the butterfly turns immobile, and slowly unfolds until it regains its original square shape. The Gryffindor is confused, until his eyes become fixated to the words written in the middle of if.

_ [You look good today, as always. —K.K.] _

Warmth spreads over his face, as his heart skips a beat after the meaning of the phrases dawns on him. He is certain his face does not fare well, as pink hue colors the high of his cheeks, replacing the previous pale countenance. The red-haired boy opens his mouth, only to close it a moment after, noticing that he looks like a dying goldfish when doing so. 

It does not take a genius to predict who is K.K. supposed to stand for. Plus, they are still in the classroom, and the paper could not come from the outside for that level of spell. And he is certain that there is only one person with those initials in this class.

_ What is he thinking of, sending a cryptic cheesy message to me like this in the middle of class?! What is the meaning of this?  _

Hokuto is puzzled, rereading the same sentences over and over again to make sure he does not make a mistake. He turns to look at the suspected culprit, only to be surprised when he sees that Kazuma is already looking at him. There is no guilty or teasing expression on the other’s face, just plain curiosity, with a little hint of worry judging by the furrowed eyebrows the dark-haired boy is donning. Hokuto waves the paper in his hand, his embarrassment long forgotten as he tries to get some answers to no avail, as the Slytherin prefect instead sending confused looks back to him.

_ Now, why would Kazuma be confused about his own letter? _

_ Or maybe, just maybe, he was not the one who sent the message. _

An abrupt thought comes to the Gryffindor, a possible explanation that is able to make sense of everything that happened. He sneakily glances towards Shogo and Shohei, who miraculously appear to be paying their full attention to their professor, writing down notes earnestly that their tables slightly wobble from the sheer force. He redirects his stares towards Itsuki, who is trying his best to avoid having eye-contact with the red-haired boy.

_ Did they seriously think I wouldn’t find out about it? _

Hokuto wonders, trying to ignore the fact that he has spent the last few minutes thinking that yes, Kazuma is the sender of the message. He sighs, chalking up everything that happened as part of his friends’ never ending plan to tease him and his newfound (relationship) friendship with Kazuma. He promises himself to give them an earful after today’s class, starting with Itsuki.

He does not realize that his friends have successfully distracted him from last night’s occurrence, even when it is unintentional on their part.

-

“Care to explain yourself?”

“About what?”

“That little origami trick during class just now.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Hokuto.”

“I can practically see the grin behind your poker face, Itsuki. And I recognized your handwriting just now.”

Itsuki curses in his mind due to his forgetfulness to forge his handwriting. “Well, no harm in playing tricks once in a while, right? It’s not like I couldn’t see you blushing all the way through from my seat at the back of the classroom.”

“I did not blush.”

“Whatever you say, Hokuto. Since Kazuma was sitting in front of me, I’m pretty sure he saw it too. I wondered what he was thinking of when you turned around and asked him about the origami, even when he did not have a single clue what you were talking about.”

“You-- Itsuki, I swear I--”

“Like I said, no harm indeed. Plus, you should be grateful that he no longer worries about you after that.”

“He-- what?”

“Yeah, you arrived this morning looking pale and sickly, with Shohei to drag you to your seat because you were not paying attention to your surroundings. You did not even notice that Shogo was not sitting with you today, and you looked scared out of your wits when Professor Bins appeared after you. Kazuma looked as if he was ready to bring you to the infirmary at a moment’s notice, considering your condition in the class. But, after that origami’s trick you looked considerably better, and that seemed to calm him as well,” Itsuki explains, glancing at the now-silent Gryffindor. He clears his throat, changing his voice into a more serious note to tread on the problem carefully, “I’ve never seen you like that before. Will you tell us about it?”

Hokuto hums in acknowledgement, choosing not to answer as he continues to walk down the main staircases of the castle down to the first floor, where he and Itsuki are going to have the Muggle Studies class in a few minutes. He has three subjects as his electives, which are Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and Muggle Studies, the latter is added as a second thought, as compared to his peers in which majority of them only have two. Considering he is a pureblood, the red-haired boy had thought that having the subject may help him in the long run, such as his profession in the future. As compared to him, Itsuki has chosen Muggle Studies solely for the fact that a certain third year Slytherin has the subject as one of his electives too. The cat lover has claimed that, quote, ‘ _ We could study together, it’s very convenient’ _ , unquote, much to Hokuto’s disbelief. 

“Later, maybe? I’m feeling a lot better now, Itsuki, don’t worry,” the Gryffindor replies.

“Alright, if you say so. Though if you already have someone in your mind, y’know, a certain prefect perhaps, I would not hold it against you. I completely understand,” Itsuki says, grinning to himself.

The red-haired boy rolls his eyes, and smacks the back of his friend’s head. “Shut up.”

-

The fourth year student has a Charms lesson for the third period, and Hokuto and Itsuki rejoin with Shogo who returns from his Ancient Runes class, and Shohei from the Arithmancy class with Kazuma. Classroom 2E where the class is held has three rows of desks in a platform-like setting, all facing the teacher's table. Hokuto sits together with Shogo as per usual at the second row, with Itsuki, Kazuma and Shohei sitting behind him in the higher third row of tables. 

“For today’s lesson, I’m going to teach you the  _ Red Sparks _ spell. This spell is one of the most basic but important spells to be learnt, especially if you are aiming to become an Auror in the future. The incantation,  _ Vermillious,  _ comes from the word vermilion and has the meaning of a brilliant red shade,” the professor says from behind his table. The chalks behind him are moving by itself, writing down every part of the lesson onto the blackboard. A red chalk is later illustrating a picture of a wand with red sparks and embers coming off from the tip, resembling a flare used in the Muggle world, Shohei absently notes. 

“This spell is very important to be used as a signal for emergency, and as a call for help. In the case where any of you found yourself in a dire situation, you can use it to attract the attention from the nearby witches and wizards to come and help you. However, if you are unsure of the safety of your location, doing so may compromise your whereabouts to the potential enemies. So, be wise about it,” the professor continues, observing his class closely to make sure each and every one of them truly understands his point. 

Hokuto nods, his mind already replaying the previous night’s encounter. He carefully files away the spell into his mind, making sure to remember the spell right. The rest of the lesson is spent with the fourth year student practicing in the classroom until the bell rings to mark the beginning of lunchtime. The five of them go to the garden, with Kazuma surprisingly agreeing to join them even though everyone knows he usually prefers to spend his lunchtime alone.

While waiting for their lunch to appear, Hokuto brings out his wand and continues to practice casting the Red Sparks charm, frowning hard with his lips set into a straight line, concentrating hard into the task. Shogo is seen sharing tips and tricks to his childhood friend from the side, as everyone knows he is very skillful in Charms. 

“It’s useless. I can’t make it any brighter or bigger than this,” Hokuto says, giving up after a few tries of producing a small jet of red sparks from his wand. He takes a seat at the table, paying no attention to the beef casserole that appears from the middle of the table. Shogo gives his shoulder a squeeze, trying to comfort the Gryffindor.

“What’s with the long face, Hokuto?” Zin says, approaching the fourth years at their table. Yamasho and Riku are right behind him, the three of them just returning from their Arithmancy class.

“Riku! Can you help him with the Red Sparks spell?” says Shogo, running towards the older boy immediately. Riku is one of the best in Charms among the fifth years, often causing him to be approached by his juniors regarding the subject, especially Shogo.

“I thought the one he did just now was good enough to get a passing mark from the professor?” questions Yamasho, curious on how Riku’s help is still needed.

“Well yeah, but I wanted to improve it a little bit more,” replies Hokuto, gripping his wand tightly with a forlorn expression on his face.

Riku stares at the red-haired boy, trying to understand the younger’s dilemma. He notices the dark circle underneath the younger’s eyes, and the way his lips are bitten red from his disappointment. “Whenever I cast a charm, I always make sure to remember the reason why I chose that spell, and how it can help me in that specific situation,” he starts slowly, his voice kind as to alleviate the Gryffindor’s frustration, “for Red Sparks, you have to imagine yourself being in a crisis and let the fear first consume you, before casting the spell right after that. Since the spell is largely used during emergencies, I always found this little trick able to help me.” 

Hokuto stays silent, as the older boy’s advice hits too close to home. He internally debates whether to tell his friends about the previous night, before a voice beats him to it.

_ “Muffliato.”  _

The Gryffindor is surprised to hear Kazuma casting the Muffliato Charm, before the prefect follows suit with casting the Disillusionment Charm around their table, hiding them from plain sight or any eavesdropper. 

“What happened?” asks Kazuma, his voice low and calming as if he knows Hokuto’s inner turmoil. Itsuki, Shogo and the three fifth years watch him in silence while Shohei gently rubs his back, trying to persuade his fellow Gryffindor to tell them everything.

Hokuto sighs, all manner of pretense goes out of the window. He tells everything that had happened to his friends while trying to hide his fear from that night, though he is pretty sure his shaky voice and trembling hands do not escape his friends’ keen eyes, especially Shogo and.. Kazuma. The Slytherin remains quiet throughout the whole ordeal, listening to him with his utmost attention. 

“So.. that’s everything. It’s probably just me and my overactive imagination because of my tiredness,” Hokuto concludes, eager to wrap everything as quickly as he can. However, his friends do not think the same, each of them has a contemplative expression on their faces.

“This is the first time this kind of thing happened to you, isn’t it?” Zin asks, to which the red-haired boy nodded. “Divination classes are always being held during midnight, and not many of the students take it as their electives. In our group, only Hokuto and Takuma chose the subjects. As far as I know, no students have reported this kind of sighting since the beginning of the school year, so we don’t have much to investigate about.”

“It’s weird that it happened to Hokuto, out of all people. Plus, these previous weeks were quite uneventful as well,” says Shogo.

Remembering his frequent late night encounter with Kazuma previously, the Gryffindor replies, “Well, I’ve never walked back to the dormitory alone before, because usually Ka—,” Hokuto stops, cursing his own slip of tongue.  _ Hokuto, you idiot. Now they would think that Kazuma intentionally waits for you after your class. _

“Hmm? Usually what, Hoku?” questions Riku, a bit puzzled by the sudden halt.

“Umm, usually I—”

“Sometimes I would bump into him whenever I finished my rounds, so we would walk back to the dormitory together,” answers the dark-haired boy smoothly, choosing to remain oblivious to Hokuto whose face is slightly reddened. 

Itsuki smiles, feeling a bit relieved to see his best friend becomes slightly distracted by the change of topic. There is still a feeling of guilt inside himself for playing that trick on Hokuto earlier. “For now, do you want any of us to accompany you after Divination classes?” he suggests.

“That’s a good suggestion, Itsuki. However, seeing that you as a regular student have a curfew time that you cannot violate, we’ll do it instead,” Riku says, pointing towards himself, Yamasho and Kazuma. “We will just keep it between ourselves first to avoid any false alarm.”

“I’ll tell our friends in the third year, and ask Takuma to share his timetable, just in case. And we need to tell Likiya as he is also a prefect,” Shohei adds.

“Don’t you guys think that it’s a bit too excessive? I mean.. it’s probably nothing serious,” says Hokuto. 

“Since you did not manage to see anything suspicious apart from the brief glimpse of shadow, it could be just the trick of your mind. But..” Riku adds, still harboring that gentle ring of the tone in his voice, as if he is trying not to further alarm his five younger friends.

“But, we still could not turn a blind eye on how you felt at that time, Hokuto. That feelings of fear and desperation to escape from that place were very much real, and that could mean something dangerous was causing it,” Yamasho interjects, looking straight into the said boy’s eyes. The fifth year Slytherin is not a person to joke around freely, and that is the reason why his juniors are always going out of their ways to avoid crossing the pureblood.

Hokuto gulps, not accustomed to being on the receiving end of those stares from the older boy. He can see the weight behind those words, and seeing it come from Yamasho out of all people worries him. “Let’s just hope that it won’t happen again,” he replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not at me and preparing hogwarts timetable for yr 3, 4, 5 and 6 lol my ocd tendency is kicking in >.< and i have removed all the --san, --chan usage in this fic (w/ the exception of icchan and makocchan as i made them as their nicknames), i think it would be easier to write w/o the honorifics in this hp!au setting. 
> 
> in wiki it said that Professor Bins, who lived thousand years ago, is unaware that he had been dead for several years and continues to teach history of magic in hogwarts, as a ghost. lol. And the idea of that flying origami is taken from hp3 (where draco sent harry that flying paper w/ his drawing in it — tq drarry shipper for giving me the idea XD)
> 
> i think you can see that i'm struggling in this chapter, i had so many thought blocks in between >.< i couldn't write as much tricks from the trio, plus i also think it doesn't match the overall mood in this chapter because i need to address that night's event (from ch.3)..
> 
> the next chapter is going to be a light-hearted, and a fun one i promise! we are going to take a trip to Hogsmeade! <3


	5. Chapter 5

_[SATURDAY]_

“Hokuto, hurry up!”

“Wait--I’m coming!”

A blurry of movement whizzes past through a group of students at the staircase and runs across the courtyard, before the wind blows across him and pushes the hood down, revealing a mop of red hair framing a small face with fair skin and cheeks slightly pink from the cold. The figure is wearing a light ivory jacket, with darker beige woven shirt below it that is matched with dark blue pants. He appears slightly out of breath, likely due to his hastiness to join his friends who are waiting by the gate. The boy grasps the end of his jacket closer to cover his body more, the chill of the autumn winds is making him wish that he had chosen a slightly thicker jacket prior to coming out of the dormitory.

“You are late! What were you doing anyway?” asks Shogo, shaking his head at the sight of the Gryffindor’s disheveled appearance. He pats the top of Hokuto’s head, trying to put the several stubborn red strands back into its place. Takuma is standing behind him, trying to hide his grin behind his hands as he observes the two best friends in silence, while Itsuki just shakes his head, muttering _‘Clumsyhead’_ underneath his breath. They are currently waiting in line at the gate, where the professors are checking each and every one of their permission letters for the Hogsmeade’s trips from their parents or guardians. There are only third and fourth years there, as the fifth year and above have already gone to the village earlier. Shogo, Itsuki and Hokuto are going together as a group as usual, with the addition of Takuma who is strung along by the fourth year Gryffindor.

“I overslept, again,” replies Hokuto sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck due to his embarrassment. He could not go to sleep again last night, the previous discussion with Yamasho and the others that afternoon was taking over his mind. He tossed and turned on his bed for quite a few hours, absently wondering whether the event was going to turn him into an insomniac for the rest of the year. Shohei was already fast asleep in the bed next to him, his orange hair splayed all over the pillow and light snore coming out of his mouth. Hokuto felt so grateful for Shohei’s presence, as his friend had been kind enough to stay up with him for the initial few hours of the night, knowing that the Seeker was having trouble sleeping again. 

“Are you sure you want to go out today? Maybe a proper rest will do you good,” asks Takuma, feeling concerned about the older boy. He has already been told about everything by Likiya yesterday. The sixth year Ravenclaw had come to his room that he shared with Takahide, face sombre and his voice serious as the older Ravenclaw explained everything. Even Kenta, who was usually able to make a light-hearted joke in any situation remained quiet at the side, as he understood the gravity of the situation. 

“Yup, no problem. If I spend another minute cooped up in my room I’m gonna go crazy, seriously. What I need is some fresh air and a change of scenery, and some butterbeer,” he grins, his mind already reminded of the golden, buttery, creamy goodness in a mug from The Three Broomsticks. 

“You and your sweet tooth,” says Itsuki, cringing a little. He passes his letter to the professor along with the other three, before he is allowed to pass through the gate. “Alright, let’s go.” And the four boys start their trip to the village. 

Hogsmeade’s trip usually takes about 20 minutes on foot, and possibly faster than that if the students want to take the carriage, though no one actually prefers it unless they are injured or unwell to walk in the cold weather. Furthermore, the walk down to the village is actually considered one of the highlights of the trip, as the student could appreciate the beautiful sight of the hills and the villages in the morning. 

Everyone knows that there are a few secret passages from Hogwarts to the Hogsmeade, as it is like one of the seven mysteries or urban tales of the school, but no one really cares to explore more about it. The students feel content to walk down the roads, catching up with their friends before reaching their destination. The four boys feel the same, as they are found animatedly talking about the school and everything else that comes to their mind.

“And the professor really told me to look closer into the teacup to interpret what’s the meaning behind the wet coffee grinds, even when my nose is practically halfway into it and my eyes nearly become crossed because of it. It really makes me wonder why I am still taking Divination, seriously,” says Hokuto, a hint of disbelief bleeding into his voice at the mention of the subject.

“We are all wondering the same thing. I meant, having Divination as one of the subjects in your O.W.L exam doesn’t really help much in your future career, unless you are aiming to become a Seer, which I doubt that that’s what you are aiming for, Hokuto,” says Itsuki. 

“You still have time to consider dropping it. You have been taking three elective subjects since last year, if it becomes too much for you, just drop any of them,” adds Shogo.

“I know that.. But, it is such a shame to drop it now since I am able to obtain a good grade in the last exam. I think I still could handle having three elective subjects for now.,” Hokuto replies, his gaze turning distant out of a sudden. “And I still need to be a good senior to Takuma here, who is the only one taking the subject in our group, like me. He needs my guidance in Divination,” he smiles towards the younger boy, ruffling his hair for good measure.

“Whatever you say, Hokuto,” says the third year Ravenclaw dryly, going along with whatever the Gryffindor has claimed. 

The four of them finally arrive at the village, watching the other Hogwarts students walking up and down the High Street of Hogsmeade. There are several thatched cottages scattered across the village, with tall pointed roofs and dark red brick walls. Since it is already October and Halloween is nearing, there are several cottages and inns that already had various decorations put up around it, such as fairy lights on their trees and wooden poles with unfinished scarecrows.

“Where should we go first?” Itsuki asks, stopping right in the middle of the road. He looks around him interestedly, watching students and villagers alike walking down the pavement. 

Hokuto hums, trying to remember the contents of his to-do checklist he has prepared earlier. “Well, let’s see.. I need to go to Dogweed and Deathcap for some dragon dung for our Bubotuber plant.” He does not see the way Itsuki and Shogo grinning and elbowing each other at the usage of the word ‘our’ in his sentences earlier, absently highlighting his and Kazuma’s joint guardianship over the said plant.

Shogo starts to form a plan on his own, paying no care to remove his grin off his face. After receiving a glare from Itsuki, he quickly clears his throat, trying to put on a poker face to hide his true intention. “I need to find new Quidditch’s gloves, considering we are going to have a match soon.”

The four of them agree to visit the Sprintwitches Sporting Needs first, one of the shops that is located at the Hogsmeade’s highstreet. The shop sells sporting goods, and is often visited by the Hogwarts’ students to buy themselves new Quidditch gears, bats or even broomsticks. The shop has the word ‘Sprintwitches’ made up of wood embedded at its outer wall, with a bronze signpost that resembles a golden snitch that moves, as it is already enchanted with magic. 

The four boys enter the shop, feeling a bit relieved to find that they are the only customers in the shop, as they are not looking forward to being in a shop that is brimming with students. Shogo’s excitement about the sports is contagious indeed, as Itsuki and Hokuto later found themselves launching into an elaborate discussion about their upcoming matches. They end up spending a solid hour there, with the three Quidditch players in the group, with the exception of Takuma, have bought themselves new gears and goggles. 

After exiting the shop, they are surprised to find Shohei, Makoto, Kazuma and Ryu walking past the shop, with the fourth year Gryffindor holding a paper bag with the sign of a letter ‘O’ at the front, clearly just coming back from the local branch of the Ollivanders.

Shogo, being one to never pass an opportunity to execute his plan, immediately calls out his name out loud, halting them from walking further. Shohei and Ryu excitedly wave back to the Hufflepuff, before they quickly run up to the four boys while the other two Slytherin follow suit, albeit in a rather calm and collected manner. Hokuto approaches the dark-haired Slytherin, wanting to ask about the dragon dung that are needed for their plants. Kazuma indulges in answering his question in no time, the two delving deeper into a conversation without paying attention to their surroundings, which only makes it easier for their friends to share their plans between themselves. 

The invisible bubble around them finally disappears when Hokuto realizes that Shogo has asked him about something, with his friends already standing at the side in two separate groups and watching him and Kazuma closely. The Slytherin prefect throws a questioning look towards Makoto, who somehow has miraculously disappeared from his side without him realizing, and is now standing in between Itsuki and Shohei.

“I asked whether you want to go visit the Dogweed and Deathcap with Kazuma, as the rest of us needed to go somewhere else,” explains Shogo. Takuma and Ryu are standing behind him. Hokuto distantly feels he is missing something, an inside joke, where he and Kazuma are the subject of it.

“Didn’t we plan to go together after this?”

“Yeah, but I thought that it is better to go our separate ways, to save time. We could all meet up at The Three Broomsticks in two hours,” suggests Shohei.

Hokuto could not see any reason to refuse the idea outright, as he knows that they tend to lose track of time easily, and they later will have no choice but to cut short the rest of their trip. He also knows that it is part of his friends’ idea to leave him alone with the Slytherin, though he cannot understand their reason to do so, but it is not like they will be around to tease them both. He turns to look at Kazuma, gauging his response. The Slytherin just shrug, feeling content with whatever Hokuto decides to do. 

Hokuto finally agrees, and they later separate into three smaller groups, with the Gryffindor immediately walking to the herbology shop with Kazuma on his tow. 

-

On the first glance, Dogweed and Deathcap appear more like an old nursery rather than a shop, judging by the numerous potted plants seen outside the shop. There are pots of plants arranged in a line on the ground in front of its entrance, the fresh dewy smell of green leaves and soil greeting its potential customers on their way in. Colourful flower plants are placed on the windowsill/ledge, with some of the blooming flowers are enchanted with spells that make them sing cheerful, jovy tunes with high and tinkling little voices. 

Hokuto had never visited the shop before this, only knowing one or two things about it from his seniors. But he has a feel that he will be returning there in the future, even if his sole reasoning is to look at the singing flowers. He enters the ivy-covered door of the shop, and more of the earthy scent coming from the plants greets his olfactory sense. He walks slowly along the narrow aisle in between two shelves full of potted plants. He can recognize some of them such as _Moly_ , _Fluxweed_ and _Knotgrass_ from the previous three years of learning herbology in Hogwarts. There are even poisonous ones in the shop, with the sign of ‘BEWARE’ written in red, bold letters above where they are placed. 

“Do you have anything else to buy here besides the dragon dung?” asks Kazuma out of a sudden, still following the Gryffindor closely behind him. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t plan to but after seeing all these cute flower plants, I may buy one of them after all,” replies Hokuto, his eyes stuck on terrariums of various shapes and sizes with miniature plants and succulents in them. It seems that they are infused with magic as well, as the plants are not at all affected by the current cold weather judging by their blooming little flowers. 

Kazuma chuckles, taking in the sight of the red-haired boy in front of him with both of his hands clasped behind his back. It is almost as if the Gryffindor is not trusting himself enough to keep still at his place, or he may knock over one of them. The Slytherin’s eyes lingers almost fondly at the other boy, with his not so subtle excitement and his eyes twinkling as he wanders over the magic contained in each of the terrariums. Kazuma decides to redirect his attention after a while, in the hopes that Hokuto did not notice his staring earlier. The Slytherin peruses over the miniature collection of plants as well, appreciating the brilliant thinking of the witch or wizard behind the enchantment. However, his eyes later stop on a certain plant, his gaze suddenly turns sombre as the boy rapidly becomes lost in thoughts.

“What’s wrong, Kazuma?” asks Hokuto, able to sense the change in mood surrounding the other boy immediately. He knows that he can be the most dense person in the world (as said by Itsuki), but he still can see the way the Slytherin’s demeanor has taken a complete 180 degrees turn from earlier. He follows the boy’s line of vision, seemingly stuck on a terrarium with reddish-maroon flowers blooming inside it. _‘Night Phlox (_ _Zaluzianskya capensis)_ _’,_ are the words written on the plate underneath the terrarium. It is one of the most common flower plants kept by Muggles in their gardens at their home, its flowers are known to routinely bloom in the night. But, he cannot understand why the Slytherin is looking at the plant with such a tender gaze, and being a ~~concerned~~ ~~worried~~ dependable friend he is, Hokuto wishes to know the reason behind it. 

It takes quite a while, and Hokuto nearly gives up his wait before the dark-haired boy finally opens his mouth. 

“We used to have this flower in our garden.”

 _‘We?’_ Hokuto ponders upon the meaning of the sentences, carefully arranging his reply to not further offend Kazuma. _‘Did he mean…’_

“My mother used to plant it, along with several other types of flower plants. But, this was her favourite, and she used to tell me that the sight of the bloomed flowers under the moonlight was beautiful beyond words.”

Hokuto remains quiet at the side, not trusting himself to reply just yet. He remembers the story that spread in his first year in Hogwarts, on how Kazuma’s Muggle parents died under mysterious circumstances when he was only five years old. The rumor mentioned that there were suspicions that they were killed by the work of magic, though no one could comprehend why a wizard or a witch decided to kill two Muggles out of the blue. The Daily Prophet newspaper had a blast in reporting the story those few years ago, writing down the death in a quite detailed manner as the Ministry of Magic had acknowledged the work of magic behind the unfortunate incident. 

Later, the newspaper had another blast where it reported the renown Hasegawa family, which consisted of a long lineage of pureblood magicians, had decided to take care of the surviving son of the victims. Hokuto, being only five years old at that time, just watched his parents being surprised by the news themselves. That was one of the reasons Kazuma became the target for bullies since his first day in Hogwarts, his blood status and people’s envy due to his second family.

This is the first time the dark-haired boy mentions his past since the two become closer. He is unsure whether Kazuma had done the same with Shohei or any other person in their group, but the Gryffindor does not want him to stop and returns back to the way he was before, keeping everything to himself and barely interacted with the others, as if there is a huge, invisible barrier that separating him from the rest of the world.

“Did you miss her?” the words are out of his mouth even without his own permission. Hokuto turns aside, blaming his own self for asking silly, foolish questions to the other boy.

Kazuma smiles, taking no offense in Hokuto’s question. “Very much,” he answers, “but Makoto made it clear that his family will always be there for me. That I am not alone in this world.”

“You're not. You have your friends here with you,” Upon realizing that he is getting too close to the other boy, Hokuto stops and takes a step back, clearing his throat at the same time. “Are you going to buy it?” he asks, referring to the terrarium now being tightly held in the palm of Kazuma’s hand. The flower is really beautiful, and the Gryffindor swears he can see it moving as if being blown by invisible winds inside the tiny container. 

Kazuma nods as a reply, before throwing a smile to the unsuspecting Gryffindor, taking him slightly off-guard. 

They go to the counter, where a young lady wearing a brown tall-pointed hat and dark green overalls stands, acknowledging their purchases with a happy glint in her eyes. They also have not forgotten to buy the dragon dung needed for their Bubotuber plant, before finally leaving the shop altogether.

 _‘There will be another chance for me to ask him about it in the future,’_ thoughts Hokuto, watching the way the Slytherin cannot keep his eyes off his little plant. 

-

“Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, rose petals, peppermint, powdered moonstone, and.. Pearl dust. Where are we even going to find the money and places to buy all of these ingredients?” asks Ryu.

“Beats me. I don’t think we are going to need them, trust me. We probably could find rose petals, thorns and even peppermint at the Magic Neep or the Dogweed and Deathcap, but we are going to stumble upon Kazuma and Hokuto at the latter. As for the eggs, moonstone or even pearl dust.. They are expensive as heck, and can only be found at the Diagon Alley, or in the storeroom back at school,” answers Shogo.

“Yeah, I did see some of them when helping the professor prepare the ingredients for our Potions class before,” adds Takuma. He takes a moment to go over the checklist in his mind. “But all of these wouldn’t matter if we don’t have our own cauldron to brew the potion.”

The three of them go to Ceridwen’s Cauldron, where hundreds of pots and cauldrons are sold. Sometimes, the kitchen staff of Hogwarts visit the shop to buy new equipment to cook the food. The shopkeeper, an old man with grey hair and sharp cheekbones welcomes the three warmly from behind his counter. His eyes are kind-looking, with crow’s feet decorating each side that betrays his true age. 

“Hello there, young men. Can I help you?” He looks at the three boys, who are already looking interestedly at the collection of cauldrons he has behind the counter.

“We are looking for the smallest cauldron you have,” says Takuma as a request, glancing towards his two other friends to search for a plausible reason to give the old man, “for…”

“For your school’s assignment, I presumed? Just a few hours ago another Hogwarts’s student came and bought one of them, though they were all covered up so I couldn’t see their face. It’s surprising to see Hogwarts allow their students to brew their own potion now,” says the old man, however his voice remains non-accusatory, “Here, I’ll recommend this one,” he continues, immediately trying to lead them towards the back of his shop. 

Shogo widens his eyes in surprise, before barely managing to stop the younger two from following the old man. He calls off their purchase with various excuses, and hastily apologizes to the old man for taking his time.

Ryu looks at the way the older boy is pushing him and Takuma out of the shop, feeling alarmed and concerned over the sudden change of plan. “What’s wrong, Shogo?” 

“It’s dangerous for us to buy one when another student had done the same before us. I’m afraid the shopkeeper will report to one of our professors about it, when in truth there’s no such thing as that assignment. And he already saw our faces, so it will bring inconvenience for us as compared to that student,” replies Shogo. “Ugh, seriously who was the student that bought the cauldron?”

“Just let the matter go, Shogo. We can always borrow one of the cauldrons in the Potions classroom,” says Takuma, trying to console the Hufflepuff’s seeker.

Seeing how they still had lots of time to spend before the promised gathering at the Three Broomstick, the three made their way to the outskirts of the village, where the infamous Shrieking Shack is located at.

-

“Look at this! Forgetfulness potion! I haven’t seen one since we made it during the first year. Oh, there are also some strengthening/strength potions here. Do you think it is helpful to allow me to remain awake in history class? Sleeping draught? I wonder how much it is needed to make Mrs Norris sleep in case I need to sneak into the prefect’s bathroom?”

Itsuki sighs, snatching the Sleeping Draught from Shohei’s grip and returning the vial to its shelf. “Forget about your points being deducted, Mr Filch will kill you if you tranquilized her, you know that.”

“I’m just letting the cat sleep for a while, not hurting her,” argues the Gryffindor, pouting a bit as his idea is being shot down immediately. However, even before he gets the time to allow in his dejection, his eyes immediately glint in interest at the sight of another shelf of potions. “What are they selling at the back there? I have never seen rainbow-coloured potions before!” 

“It’s probably poison, idiot,” mutters Itsuki under his breath, feeling resigned for not being unable to stop his friend from running around the little shop.

“The shopkeeper said that those potions are the newer and cheaper version of Felix Felicis. It sure looked colourful enough to tempt people to buy one of them,” Makoto intercepts, his soft voice disrupts Itsuki’s brooding.

Itsuki startles a bit and swivels around, coming face to face with the younger Slytherin. His light blond hair is falling down his forehead, making the boy look younger than he already is. From this distance, Itsuki can see a small number of freckles decorating the younger’s cheeks, its color barely visible on the fair skin. He forgets that the younger chose to follow him and Shohei to J. Pippin’s Potions instead of Shogo and the others. And now he feels regretful for letting Shohei run off to who knows where, leaving him alone with his crush (strikethrough) Makoto. Itsuki takes a few seconds to compose himself and tries to remember what the younger was talking about. “That’s just more the reason not to buy them. The bizarre color feels like a warning to me.”

Makoto chuckles, “I don’t think the same logic applies to Shohei though.” He continues to walk along the isle, not turning back even once as if he is sure the older boy will follow him. “I have asked the shopkeeper about love potions just now. He said that they just have a new batch coming from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes a few days ago, and he already put some of them on display.”

Itsuki manages to catch up with the younger boy, walking at his side while looking at hundreds of bottles and vials of potions in the way disinterestedly. “What are they thinking seriously, selling love potions to students?” he says, shaking his head.

“I don’t think they are that harmful though,” replies Makoto. 

Itsuki absently wonders whether the boy has some wicked sense of humor in him. “And you don’t care that we are probably going to use it on Kazuma later on?” he presses on, curious to see what the Slytherin’s seeker thinks about their plan. After all, Kazuma is not just Makoto’s childhood friend, he is his older brother, even if he is only adopted into the family.

“I know the difference between harmless, innocent jokes and vile, sinister tricks. Trust me, with everything that has happened to Kazuma, I hope that this plan can provide some happiness for him,” answers Makoto, a small smile decorating his face.

Itsuki does not get the chance to clarify what the younger meant by that when Makoto stops in front of a striking pink-colored bowl, with pink glitters and smokes coming from underneath it. About two dozen heart-shaped glass vials fill the bowl surrounded with love-shaped confettis, the sight ensures that nobody could ever question what the potions are for. Itsuki himself is pretty sure he is going to have a seizure the longer he stares at the blinding display of products.

“Oh, I see you have found the love potions! Go ahead and buy one! You can make anyone fall for you!” A tall, lanky young man appears out of nowhere, surprising the two with his loud, enthusiastic voice. He stops, eyeing them up and down before throwing his head back laughing, “Though with the two of you, I’m pretty sure you have no problems finding a partner on your own, eh?” teases the shopkeeper.

“It’s not-- This is for a friend, not us--” Itsuki tries to explain, stuttering over his words.

“Of course, what am I saying. The two of you are together already, there’s no need for this potion!” He claps his hands in glee, paying no attention to the still speechless two Slytherins in front of him. “I hope your friend will be successful in his love quest. I’ll be waiting at the counter if you are ready to pay. See you~”

The two boys remain rooted at the same place, taken aback by the sudden turn of events. Itsuki glances at the blond boy, feeling his heart skips a beat seeing Makoto’s face rapidly reddening. He is sure that he looks the same, if not worse, judging by the warmth spreading all over his body. He feels he is one second from bursting into flames, before a voice saves him from his possible demise.

“I can’t believe they are selling Liquid Luck here! Come on, let’s pay already!” Shohei says, waving a bottle of the colourful concoction in front of both of Itsuki’s and Makoto’s face. “What’s wrong, both of you? Why are you blushing?”

Itsuki quickly snaps out of it, taking a bottle of the love potions from the bowl and placing it into Shohei’s other hand. He mumbles something about waiting outside while the two pays, playing deaf to the way the Gryffindor whines exasperatedly about lacking money to buy the potions. He is sure Makoto can pay for it just fine.

He just needs to get out of the shop fast.

-

“Late again, Hoku!”

The said Gryffindor just grins unapologetically, both of his hands are occupied with various paper bags. If they are not in Hogsmeade, Shogo would have thought that his friend had just returned from a shopping trip at the so-called Muggle’s mall. 

“It can’t be helped! There’s a lot of things we need to buy!” The red-haired boy exclaims loudly, gathering attention of the other patrons of the shop. “Oh, Kaisei, Takahide, you guys are here too.” The two boys lift their hand in greetings, being uncharacteristically quiet for the normally energetic boys.

“Did you both manage to buy the dragon dung?” asks Makoto, to which Kazuma nods in turn. 

“Not only that, we bought some cute magic terrariums as well,” adds Hokuto, brandishing one of his paper bags in front of him that possibly contains the said terrarium.

“Alright, alright, take a seat Hoku. You are giving me a headache with your flailing and excitement,” says Itsuki, pointing towards the vacant seat in front of him. 

The ten boys order themselves a Butterbeer each, occupying two tables in the shop just for their own group. They share their purchases with each other, with Hokuto and Shohei excitedly showing off their terrarium and potion respectively. They all agree that the colourful potion is like a recipe for disaster, with the exception of Shohei, Takahide, and surprisingly, Takuma. As it is nearing lunch time, some of them buy some food to quell down their hunger, to fill their stomach before enduring another 20 minutes of walking back to Hogwarts. 

Shogo carefully observes his red-haired friend who is sitting across him. Since his arrival with Kazuma to the shop, the Gryffindor has never stopped talking about the various shops he managed to visit in the previous hours. Shogo also does not let the fact that Hokuto is using ‘ _We’_ in his words, implying that the two had indeed spent their time together. It looks as if his plan is successful, after all. Perhaps they don’t need the love potion, after all.

“Shogo, I bought some for you as well, because the shopkeeper said you haven’t come to the shop today,” says the red-haired boy, giving a small paper bag with the logo ‘Honeydukes’ drawn on it. “Where did you go?”

Shogo pries open the small wax insignia on the paperbag, and sweets, candies and chocolates of various sorts start to pour out of the paperbag. He grabs one of his favourites, _Exploding Bonbons_ , quickly unwrapping the candy and passes the bag around the table to be shared with the other nine. “I planned to, but I stumbled upon those two near the Shrieking Shack.”

“I thought I saw both of you walking around the village with Riku, Kenta and Yamasho earlier this morning. How come you ended up there?” Asks Kazuma, his underlying curiosity prominent enough in his voice. He initially shakes his head in refusal when being offered _Sugared Butterfly Wings_ by Hokuto, but later agrees to eat one of them when he sees the Gryffindor pouting. 

_‘Whipped,’_ thought Itsuki and Makoto, trying hard to contain their laughter. Makoto knows for sure that the dark-haired boy hates sweet treats.

“Yeah, but they had to return earlier to Hogwarts for some reasons. Both of us decided to take a walk around the village before we heard a commotion outside the Shrieking Shack. So we had to look for the reasons ourselves,” replies Kaisei, with his mouth full of _Chocoballs_.

“What did you see?” Asks Shohei.

“I don’t know, but there were some Hogwarts students outside the abandoned house, saying things like their friend was missing,” says Takahide. He is trembling a bit, trying hard to hide the shivers on his body. His Butterbeer remains untouched on the table. “It’s a bit scary actually, as that female student kept on crying and screaming that something inside the house had taken her friend away.”

“So did you try to help her?” Ryu presses on.

The two boys just nod, “Luckily one of the professors is here in Hogsmeade. Takahide informed him about the student and her ‘missing’ friend. Both of us were later not allowed to stay there, and we were told to inform the other students to stay clear from the area,” adds Kaisei.

“And that is how I met them both. Seeing how they both looked pretty shaken up, I decided to bring them here and wait for you guys,” says Shogo. “I recognized her, she is a fifth year student.”

“There’s a rumor that said the Shrieking Shack is a place where a werewolf turns in the midnight. But, right now, it is in the middle of the day, and on a weekend too. I don’t think there is any werewolf around?” Hokuto wonders out loud. 

“Let’s go back and ask Zin and the others about it. I’m pretty sure the news has reached them by now, considering it happened to one of their classmates,” says Kazuma. They agree, standing up from their seat but not before taking the last sip of their drinks and finishing the last bite of their meals, with the exception of Hokuto who is buying another Butterbeer to-go.

“Hokuto, you have Divination tonight, right?” asks Makoto, to which the red-haired boy answers in affirmative. “I wonder which one of them is going to accompany you.”

“It’s okay, because tonight is a joint class between the third and the fourth year. So there’s going to be a lot of students,” answers Takuma instead.

“If you want to, you can ask for Kazuma’s help. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” says Shohei.

“I already asked him before, and he agreed,” says Hokuto nonchalantly, running up to the said Slytherin who is trying to console Takahide. He pays no attention to Shohei, Shogo and Itsuki who are left behind in bafflement, and continues talking to Kazuma instead. Makoto and Takuma just laugh at the three older boys, and Kaisei, who is already updated about the situation by Shogo, concludes, “I guess Kenta will be happy with our progress in this plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to write a light-hearted hp au story i swear, idk why did this turn dark out of a sudden.. T.T you might be thinking, what's the deal with this author and writing hokuto + his obsession with plants? well, since #stalihomies that day where hoku said he is taking care of a plant, i found it so cute??! so i felt the need to write about it in any chance i get lmao sorry about that. and hey look, some makoitsu's moment! XD
> 
> i'm thinking of finishing furusato first before updating this story in the future, but i haven't decided yet. 
> 
> sorry if there's any mistakes here, i haven't got the chance to sit down and properly reread everything.


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